GUINEA-BISSAU - April 1, 2010 - Guinea-Bissau soldiers Thursday arrested the army chief and prime minister, who they also threatened to kill, in an apparent coup bid in the tiny African country plagued by the illegal drugs trade.

Some 40 officers were also said to be arrested, while deputy army chief of staff General Antonio Indjai was named to "manage the situation" in the West African nation, according to a military source.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the government headquarters to demand Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior's freedom. National radio broadcasts were interrupted by military music.

Indjai himself threatened to kill the prime minister, whose popular nickname is 'Cadogo', if his supporters continued to press for his release.

"We ask you to stop anything that attracts a crowd in the streets. If you do not do this, we will have to kill Cadogo," the general told a press conference.