On March 2, African Union top executive, Jean Ping, condemned the assassination of Guinea-Bissau's President Joao Bernardo Vieira by soldiers as a criminal act.

In an interview with the AFP, Ping said, I was deeply shocked this morning to hear of the assassination of the president of the republic of Guinea-Bissau, Nino Vieira. The AU and myself firmly condemn this criminal act.

Nino was the presidents nick name.

This assassination is serious notably because it comes at a time when efforts were under way to bolster peace following the November election, said the AU commission chairperson.

The Veteran president was gunned down by soldiers as he fled his home on Monday, a military spokesperson said, the AFP reported.

According to the West African nation's army, Vieira, 69, is the reason for the cause of death to their leader, General Tagme Na Waie, who died in a bomb attack on Sunday, the military spokesperson added. .

Ping deplored the latest in a string of recent coups on the continent, he said that it was sad to observe all these coups in such a short time and that three coups have been reported in West Africa.

It's sad to observe that in such a short time, we have recorded three coups in West Africa. It's very alarming, he said.

In 2008, Coups also took place in Guinea and Mauritania.