In a authorities decree issued on Friday, the administration of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló suspended the reporting actions of Portuguese state information company Lusa and public broadcaster RTP Africa, together with its radio arm, RDP Africa.
Reuters experiences that the journalists have till August 19 to depart the nation.
International Minister Carlos Pinto Pereira confirmed the expulsions, telling journalists: “The expulsion is a authorities determination. We’ll present the reasoning behind this determination at a press briefing, in all probability tomorrow (Saturday). We’ve got acquired the reactions of the Portuguese authorities. We’ll deal with it in an acceptable discussion board.”
The diplomatic rift stems from President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, a former military basic elected in 2019, who had pledged to serve just one time period however introduced in March that he would run once more, despite opposition claims that his mandate expired in February.
He has since postponed elections to November 23, fueling accusations of clinging to energy. On August 7, Embaló appointed Braima Camará as prime minister, the third since 2020, additional heightening issues about governance in a rustic lengthy marked by coups, corruption, and contested authority.
The crackdown on Portuguese media additionally follows Embaló’s earlier threats to expel an ECOWAS mediation mission, which had tried to dealer consensus over the election timetable. Observers warn that the most recent transfer may deepen Guinea-Bissau’s isolation at a time of heightened uncertainty.
Portugal Condemns Expulsion
In Lisbon, the Portuguese authorities condemned the expulsions, calling the motion “extremely reprehensible and unjustifiable.” Portugal’s overseas ministry stated it had summoned Guinea-Bissau’s ambassador for an pressing assembly to hunt clarification.
The dispute highlights the enduring affect of former colonial powers in Africa’s fragile democracies. Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has struggled with coups, weak establishments, and protracted corruption.
Nevertheless, Portugal has remained one in every of its most essential diplomatic and cultural companions, significantly by means of the Group of Portuguese-Talking Nations (CPLP), which Guinea-Bissau at present chairs.
Whereas nations equivalent to Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde have usually maintained pragmatic ties with Lisbon, Guinea-Bissau’s fragile institutions and historical past of coups have typically difficult the connection.
The removing of Portuguese media, lengthy seen as a hyperlink to the broader Lusophone world, marks a big rupture, elevating questions on media freedom and worldwide oversight in one of many world’s poorest and most politically unstable states.
Embaló, who was due in Lisbon on Monday for a CPLP ceremony marking his tenure as rotating president, has now cancelled the journey, casting a shadow over the organisation meant to strengthen cooperation amongst Lusophone nations.
With presidential and legislative elections now set for November 23, the federal government’s determination dangers deepening Guinea-Bissau’s isolation at a time when it wants each worldwide legitimacy and home stability—or worse, may set off an unplanned coup.
