Updated

A group of soldiers apparently angered over unpaid wages staged a revolt Wednesday in Guinea-Bissau, surrounding a main military building in the West African country's capital, the prime minister said.

The renegade troops began their rebellion at about 4 a.m. and surrounded the chief of staff's headquarters in Bissau (search), the capital of the former Portuguese colony, Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior (search) said.

A high-ranking delegation from the Ministry of Defense was meeting with the renegades, Gomes Junior said in a telephone interview with Portuguese state radio's African service, RDP-Africa.

Gomes Junior said the rebellious troops were believed to be soldiers who recently returned form peacekeeping duty with the United Nations in Liberia (search) and were angry about delays in being paid.

"We can't accept demands being made at the point of a gun," Gomes Junior said.

He didn't say how many troops were involved in the revolt. About 500 Guinea-Bissauan troops were sent to Liberia.

Gomes Junior did not say whether there was shooting or whether anyone was wounded in the rebellion.