Guinea-Bissau's prime minister has been released from house arrest, one day after dissident soldiers seized him and deposed the head of the army, dpa quoted sources as saying. Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior and armed forces chief Zamora Induta were seized on Thursday in what initially was thought to be a coup attempt in the former Portuguese colony. However, diplomatic sources and President Malam Bacai Sanha said it appeared to be an internal military dispute. "I will remain Prime Minister because that is what the citizens of Guinea-Bissau want," Gomes told reporters after meeting Sanha. "I am discussing Induta's situation with the president." The previous deputy head of the armed forces, Antonio Indjai, took command of the military and late Thursday called for calm, insisting the military was not aiming to assume power in the crisis-ridden West African country. "The armed forces general staff stresses its subservience to the political authority," Portuguese news agency Lusa quoted Indjai as saying. The soldiers also freed former military chief Bubo Na Tchuto from the United Nations building, where he sought refuge after returning from The Gambia in December. Bissau was calm on Friday, Lusa reported, citing local residents. The agency said shops in the capital had reopened after being closed amid Thursday's events, and few soldiers were seen on the city's streets.
