The civil war was triggered by an attempted coup d'état against the government of President João Bernardo Vieira led by Brigadier-General Ansumane Mané in June 1998. Clashes between government forces, backed by neighbouring states, and the rebels eventually resulted in a peace agreement in November 1998, which provided for a national unity government and new elections in the next year. A subsequent, brief outbreak of fighting in May 1999 ended in Vieira's ouster.