Military Seizure of Guinea-Bissau Media Amid Political Crisis

In Guinea-Bissau, a major political upheaval has led to state television and radio being seized by heavily armed military personnel, resulting in the expulsion of employees.

This occurred following President Umaro Sissoco Embaló’s announcement of the dissolution of the National People’s Assembly.

The President’s decree led to tension, with military vehicles and armed soldiers seizing control of broadcasting stations.

Concurrently, Prime Minister Geraldo Martins remains in office with full powers, now also overseeing the Finance Ministry.

This decision came directly from President Embaló, who recently communicated the parliament’s dissolution.

The President’s move to keep Martins in his role while also assigning him additional responsibilities signifies a strategic realignment of the government.

The situation escalated following the President’s characterization of actions by the National Guard as a coup attempt.

This was in response to the Guard freeing the Finance Minister, Suleimane Seidi, and the State Secretary of the Treasury, António Monteiro, from police custody.

These actions led to armed confrontations and the eventual arrest of the National Guard’s commander, Vitor Tchongo.

Dominant coalition further complicates the political scenario

Meanwhile, President Embaló also took on the roles of Minister of Defense and Interior, overseeing the Armed Forces, while maintaining Carlos Pinto Pereira as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Embaló’s actions indicate a consolidation of power, emphasizing his control over key governmental areas.

The dominant coalition further complicates the political scenario in Guinea-Bissau, PAI-Terra Ranka, led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).

Domingos Simões Pereira, the PAIGC leader and head of the dissolved parliament, labeled the President’s decision as a constitutional coup.

He stressed that dissolving the parliament half a year post-elections subverts the constitutional rule of a one-year minimum interval.

This series of events has led to heightened military presence on the streets of Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau’s political scene is now rife with uncertainty and power struggles following these rapid governmental changes.

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