Guinea-Bissau junta head fires officer close to former president Embaló

General Horta N'tam,the leader of the military junta in Guinea-Bissau,has dismissed a military officer close to ousted president Umaro Sissoco Embaló,according to a decree seen Wednesday by AFP.

Lieutenant-General Sadji Fati,a former defence minister and military advisor under Embaló,headed the presidential civil office at the palace but the decree said that he had been "dismissed with immediate effect."

His dismissal was just the latest involving personnel serving in defence and the security forces since the fall of Embaló,who is now in exile in Morocco.

The junta has been in power since November 26,a day before the scheduled announcement of provisional presidential and legislative election results.

The military overthrew Embaló and suspended the electoral process,leading many observers to suspect Embaló might have orchestrated the coup to halt an election he appeared set to lose.

However,the junta has recently taken a number of measures suggesting it is distancing itself from the former president.

Many members of his presidential guard and most officers close to him are being removed from positions of influence.

Interior Minister General Mama Saliu Embaló and Fisheries Minister Maria Da Cruz Correia,both considered close to him,were recently dismissed by the junta,which is supposed to organise presidential and legislative elections on December 6 to allow for a return to civilian rule.

However,the National Electoral Commission said last week that the"conditions are not in place to hold" elections.

Before that announcement,Embaló told AFP he intended to run again for the presidency.