The ruling military council in Guinea-Bissau has announced a ban on all unauthorized press conferences and public statements. The move comes six weeks after the junta seized power in a coup following disputed presidential elections.
The armed forces ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on November 26th, immediately after the election results were announced. They subsequently suspended the electoral process and declared they would govern the country for a period of one year.
In a statement issued by the “High Military Command,” the new authorities accused political figures and ethnic groups of holding secret meetings aimed at inciting violence and disobedience. They claim these actions violate the “Charter of the Transition Period,” which was issued in early December to frame the military rule.
The statement emphasized that any press conference or public statement deemed a threat to social peace will be “strictly prohibited.” It further warned that anyone opposing the transitional regime will face severe penalties under the law.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced significant political instability since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. The nation has endured four military coups and numerous attempted rebellions.
Following the ouster of Embaló, the military council accused alleged “drug barons” of conspiring to spread chaos in the country, which is a major transit point for cocaine trafficking to Europe. However, in early December, authorities described the political situation as “dangerous,” warning of a potential descent into ethnic-based civil war.
Opposition figures and observers have suggested that the deposed President Embaló himself may have been behind the coup, allegedly in an attempt to halt the electoral process after it became clear he was facing defeat. Guinea-Bissau’s history of coups and attempted rebellions makes it one of the most politically unstable nations in West Africa.
