"Every time there are problems, there is a retreat in aid from the European Union and the United Nations," Foreign Minister Antonio Monteiro told a parliamentary committee on foreign relations.

Earlier Wednesday hundreds of mutinous soldiers demanding overdue wages took up key positions in the capital of Guinea Bissau and opened fire on military headquarters, but by mid-morning the soldiers had mostly dispersed.

The unrest came just over one year after controversial president Kumba Yala was ousted in a September 16 coup.

Officials in Guinea-Bissau reported reluctance on the part of the EU and other international organizations to grant the country foreign aid in the months immediately following the coup.

Most of Guinea-Bissau's roughly 1.5 million residents live on less than one dollar a day. The country is heavily dependent on foreign aid, and its main foreign exchange earner is cashew nuts.

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