BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau – The first wave of troops from the West African regional bloc have landed in Guinea-Bissau to try to restore order after a coup.
The first 70 troops arrived Thursday afternoon at the Bissau airport from Burkina Faso. ECOWAS says it is sending about 600 troops in total in the coming days.
The tiny country underwent a coup last month, and the regional bloc is trying to help bring some stability to the nation.
Guinea-Bissau was just weeks away from holding a presidential runoff vote when a military junta arrested the election's front-runner and the country's interim leader. Both men later fled the country.
Politicians are moving ahead with a transitional government in Guinea-Bissau though the negotiations have been criticized by some for not being inclusive enough.