Prime Minister Carlos Gomes said only 70 of the 650 soldiers who served on an eight-month peacekeeping mission in Liberia that ended in May have not yet received their arrears as they are posted in the interior of the former Portuguese colony, the Lusa news agency reported late Monday.

The United Nations has provided the government of Guinea-Bissau with 2.2 million dollars (1.7 million euros) to pay the back wages.

Gomes added he would put off a three-day official visit to France which was scheduled to begin Wednesday, as well as an already delayed trip to Portugal which was reset for the beginning of November, to stay in Guinea-Bissau so as to "be close to developments".

Talks in Paris and Lisbon had been expected to focus on cooperation and aid.

The west African country, jolted by a coup one year ago, is now dealing with the aftermath of the mutiny held on October 6 in which armed forces chief General Verissimo Correia Seabra and another senior officer were killed.

The rebel troops have said they were demanding back wages and better living conditions but some military sources have indicated the incident was an attempted coup d'etat.

The mutineers returned to their barracks, pledging to respect order, after the government promised to pay the back wages, improve living conditions, deal with alleged military corruption and implement changes in the hierarchy of the armed forces.

President Henrique Rosa has said he would announce the new head of the armed forces, along with the names of new chiefs for the army and air force, later this week.