Rebels Shoot President of East Timor
February 10, 2008
José Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor, has been shot by rebel soldiers in an attack on his home. He is now undergoing surgery at an Australian military base in the East Timorean capital of Dili.
The military is blaming the shooting on rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who, along with another attacker, was shot and killed by the president’s guards. “The attack was carried out by Alfredo’s group,” said military spokesman Domingos da Camara. Reinado, a former major, was charged with murder after leading rebel soldiers in the 2006 East Timor crisis.
Camara said the shooting took place at 4:30 am local time, when two cars passed the president’s residence in Areia Branca, two kilometers outside of the capital. According to Camara, the group “assaulted him, but after rapid reaction by security, his attackers fled”. One of the president’s guards was killed in the attack, Camara said.
Agusto Junior, the president’s adviser, said Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach. Later, Foreign Minister Zacarias da Costa said he was instead shot twice in the back, and that one of the bullets penetrated his abdomen. “The doctors are trying to locate where the bullet is,” da Costa said.
Australian and East Timorean troops stepped up sercurity around the capital, while United Nations police sealed off the road leading to Ramos-Horta’s house. “UNPol is in a high state of alert in Dili,” UN spokeswoman Allison Cooper said.
Ramos-Horta’s current condition is unclear. Januario Freitas, a neighbor of the president, said his wound looked “serious”. Maria Gabriela Carrascalao, the president’s sister-in-law, said, “He was able to talk. We don’t know how far is the damage, let’s hope that he’s not very, very serious.”
Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres said Ramos-Horta could be flown to Australia if his condition worsens.
Local media reported that the home of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao had also come under attack, but a statement released by the United Nations said Gusmao was safe in his office and working with international forces.
“The prime minister is in control of the situation,” said Zacarias da Costa. “I think the country is safe. We have the support of the Australian and New Zealand military here … and I believe our own defenses are capable of handling those problems.”
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[...] admin wrote an interesting post today on Rebels Shoot President of East TimorHere’s a quick excerptJosé Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor, has been shot by rebel soldiers in an attack on his home. He is now undergoing surgery at an Australian military base in the East Timorean capital of Dili. The military is blaming the shooting … [...]