ABUJA, March 2 (Reuters) - West African regional bloc ECOWAS condemned the killing of Guinea-Bissau's President Joao Bernardo "Nino" Vieira on Monday and called on the country's armed forces to help restore constitutional order.
Soldiers killed Vieira in an apparent revenge attack for the slaying of the army chief of the tiny West African country on Sunday. The army said it was managing the crisis and would respect democratic institutions.
Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua, who is chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said the regional body would send a delegation of foreign ministers to Bissau on Tuesday.
"President Yar'Adua has emphasized the importance of constitutional succession to the presidency after the unfortunate events," ECOWAS said in a statement.
"He called on the armed forces and other security agencies of Guinea-Bissau to desist from any actions likely to plunge the country further into lawlessness and political instability."
ECOWAS said the delegation going to Bissau would be made up of foreign ministers from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia and Senegal. (Reporting by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Randy Fabi)