Bloodless Coup in São Tomé

Date: July 16, 2003 • Location: Rome, Italy

A faction of the armed forces of São Tomé and Príncipe led by Major Fernando Pereira overthrew the government of Fradique de Menezes in a bloodless coup d'état.

The Armed Forces of São Tomé and Príncipe are the armed forces of the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, off the coast of West Africa. The islands' military consists of a small land and naval contingent, with a limited budget. Sitting adjacent to strategically important sea lane of communication in the Gulf of Guinea, due to recent concerns about regional security issues including security for oil tankers transiting the area, the US military and other foreign navies have increased their engagement with the FASTP, providing the country with assistance in the form of construction projects and training missions, as well as integration into international information and intelligence sharing programs.