President Henrique Rosa called on the military to ensure security in his tiny West African nation, warning of possible chaos after a former president toppled in a coup declared himself the country's rightful head of state.
Security forces in the capital fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Tuesday to disperse a crowd of 150 people demonstrating in favor of ex-president Kumba Yala, who was overthrown by the military in 2003.
"We must together be vigilant and defend the democratic order," Rosa told reporters, urging residents to remain calm. He called on the military to "defend the flag of the republic and protect freedom, defend the Constitution, the law and the nation."
Tensions rose sharply after Yala declared himself president on Sunday, a month ahead of a presidential ballot scheduled for June 19 -- a race that Yala had registered to run in.
In New York, the UN Security Council reiterated its concern about tensions in Guinea-Bissau, saying in a statement that it continued to support Rosa.
The council called on political leaders in the country to "exert their leadership with diligence and the utmost restraint" and make sure Guinea-Bissau's people avoid further suffering.
Yala, a former philosophy professor, was democratically elected in 2000. After failing to lift the nation out of poverty and pay salaries of civil servants and soldiers, he became widely unpopular.
The military overthrew him three years later, putting him under house arrest and forcing him to sign a document abdicating his right to the presidency.
Yala said on Sunday he'd been forced to sign the document, declaring it invalid. He said he planned to rally supporters to help him return to the presidential palace.
"Nobody thinks that Guinea-Bissau can return again to the path of uncertainty," Rosa said. But "in place of calm, there is now fear, worry and uncertainty ... in place of civil order, there is the risk of political chaos."
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