Considered to have been a close ally of President João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira, he served as Minister of Territorial Administration and was standing as a candidate in the June 2009 presidential election when he was killed by security forces, allegedly because he was involved in a coup plot.

[6] Dabó was a senior member of the governing African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC)[7] and a close ally of President Vieira.

[16] According to Agence France-Presse, a "medical source" told them that Dabó had suffered three AK-47 bullet wounds to the abdomen and one to the head, fired from short range.

[14] The Guinea-Bissauan authorities present a different series of events and say that he died in an exchange of fire whilst resisting arrest over an alleged coup plot.

[7] It has been suggested by journalist Jean Gomis and reported by the BBC that he may have been killed on the orders of military leaders who feared prosecution over the assassination of President Vieira had Dabó won the election.

[7] Analysts consulted by the Reuters news agency stated that if a power vacuum occurs, Latin American drug cartels may be able to extend their influence over the country, which serves as a port for the shipping of cocaine to Europe.