The African Union has condemned the killings of Guinea-Bissau's President Joao Bernado Vieira and his army chief, calling it a blatant attack on state institutions. But the continental body stopped short of suspending Guinea-Bissau's membership in the organization.
非洲联盟谴责几内亚比绍总统维埃拉和武装部队总参谋长瓦伊将军遭到杀害，称这是对国家制度的悍然攻击。非洲联盟险些中止几内亚比绍非盟成员国的资格。
The AU Peace and Security Council met in emergency session Tuesday to determine whether the assassination of President Vieira constituted a military coup, which would have meant automatic suspension from the organization.
非洲联盟和平与安全委员会星期二举行紧急会议，决定几内亚比绍总统维埃拉遭暗杀是否构成军事政变。军事政变意味着自动中止非洲成员国的资格。
Two other west African nations, Mauritania and Guinea Conakry have recently been expelled from the continental body after army officers took power through extra-constitutional means.
另外两个西非国家毛里塔尼亚和几内亚-科纳克里最近被驱逐出非盟组织，因为一些军官通过宪法以外的途径夺取了政权。
Guinea-Bissau military chiefs say an 'isolated group' of soldiers was responsible for the president's death, and the speaker of parliament will temporarily take power.
几内亚比绍军方领导人说，一个由士兵组成的“孤立的组织”对维埃拉总统被杀负责。几内亚比绍议会议长临时接管了国家政权。
Burkina Faso's AU ambassador Bruno Nongoma Zidouemba, who holds the council's rotating chairmanship, said Guinea-Bissau's case does not appear to meet the definition of a coup.
布基纳法索驻非盟大使齐多安巴目前担任非洲联盟和平与安全委员会轮值主席。他说，几内亚比绍事件似乎还不符合军事政变的定义。
"The assassination of the president is a very unusual situation and sad situation, but there is a coup when the constitution is suspended or institutions of the country are suspended. It is a very sad step in the evolution of Guinea-Bissau, but from the information we have up to now, it is not considered a coup d'etat," he said.
“几内亚比绍总统被暗杀是一件非同寻常的情况，非常悲惨的情况。但是如果发生政变，宪法会被中止，国家机构会被中止。这是几内亚比绍发展中的一个非常沉痛的一页，但是从我们目前掌握的信息来看，这次事件不是一次军事政变。”
Guinea Bissau has a history of coups and coup attempts. The most recent came after last November's parliamentary elections, when soldiers attacked the president's office. Two people were killed, but the attempt failed.
几内亚比绍历来有政变和企图政变的传统。最近一次政变是去年11月议会选举之后，当时军人袭击了总统的办公室，两人被打死，但政变失败。
In the latest incident, Security Council Chairman Zidouemba says a constitutional transfer of power appears to be in the works. "We have heard a declaration of a group of officers, and this group of officers said they will act through the constitution, and if you read the constitution of Guinea-Bissau, normally the transition power should go to president of the national assembly. In the hours to come everything will be clear," he said.
在最新一起事件中，非洲联盟和平与安全委员会主席齐多安巴说，符合宪法的权力转移似乎正在进行之中。“我们听到一群军官发表的宣言，这个军官组织说，他们将遵循宪法的规定。如果你阅读一下几内亚比绍的宪法，就会知道，通常权力应转移给议会议长。在未来几个小时内，一切都会明朗化。”
The country's constitution calls for a presidential election to be held within 60 days.
几内亚比绍的宪法要求在60天内举行总统选举。
Guinea-Bissau has become notorious as a transit point used by Latin American drug cartels for shipments of cocaine bound for Europe. Government estimates indicate as much as 800 kilograms of cocaine moves through the west African nation each week, making drug trafficking easily the largest foreign exchange earner.
几内亚比绍被拉丁美洲的贩毒集团作为将可卡因运向欧洲的中转站，因此声名狼藉。根据政府的估计，每个星期有多达800公斤可卡因经几内亚比绍进入欧洲，使走私成为几内亚比绍最大的外汇收入来源。 |