Benin, which currently holds the chairmanship of the African Union, on Saturday condemned this week’s military coup in Guinea-Bissau and called for those arrested to be released

Benin, which currently holds the chairmanship of the African Union, on Saturday condemned this week's military coup in Guinea-Bissau and called for those arrested to be released.
  
"The current chairman of the African Union firmly and without reserve condemns the coup d'etat, which is contrary to the international commitments concerning democracy to which Guinea-Bissau has subscribed," a statement said.
  
The statement called for a return to constitutional order and demanded "the immediate release of those detained by the soldiers involved in the coup, particularly President Raimundo Pereira and Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior."
  
Gomes Junior, the favorite in a second-round presidential election set for this month, was seized in a military assault on his home using rocket-propelled grenades on Thursday evening. The military also arrested interim president Raimundo Pereira. Opposition parties in Guinea-Bissau were to meet Saturday to thrash out a "unity government" after the military coup derailed the presidential elections.