Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.9% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Guinea
Disputes - international:
conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in
neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in
domestic instability; Sierra Leone has pressured Guinea to remove
its forces from the town of Yenga, occupied since 1998
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 127,256 (Liberia) 7,165 (Sierra
Leone) 7,064 (Cote d'Ivoire)
IDPs: 82,000 (cross-border incursions from Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Cote d'Ivoire) (2005)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Guinea-Bissau
Introduction Guinea-Bissau
Background:
Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has
experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a
military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo
'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market
economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by
the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political
rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s
failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the
country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting
civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In
February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to
opposition leader Kumba YALA, after he was elected president in
transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in
office, YALA was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and
businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In
August 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president in the
second round of presidential polling. Since formally assuming office
in October 2005, Vieira has pledged to pursue economic development
and national reconciliation.
Geography Guinea-Bissau