Notes

Overview

Guinea-Bissau’s political system has been hampered in recent years by divisions between the president and the parliament, and within the main political party. Conditions for civil liberties have gradually improved as the country has recovered from the aftermath of a military coup in 2012, though police continue to disrupt some demonstrations. Corruption is a major problem that has been exacerbated by organized criminal activity, including drug trafficking.

Key Developments in 2022

• In February, a group of armed men attacked the government palace, where President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was leading a cabinet meeting; Embaló was not harmed, but officials reported that 11 people were killed during the alleged coup attempt.
• In response to the February attack, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deployed a “stabilization force” to Guinea-Bissau in June to help protect government institutions and prevent further violence. Several of Embaló’s opponents expressed doubts that the attack represented a genuine coup attempt; some suggested that Embaló may have orchestrated the coup himself, possibly in the hope that ECOWAS would send troops to help his government keep power.
• President Embaló dissolved the parliament in May, accusing its members of corruption, and appointed an interim government in June; the country’s largest opposition party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde (PAIGC), was excluded from the transitional government after failing to reach an agreement with Embaló on the party’s participation. New parliamentary elections were initially planned for December, but were later postponed until 2023.

Political Pluralism and Participation

PAIGC leader and former presidential candidate Pereira was repeatedly prevented from leaving Guinea-Bissau on dubious grounds during 2022. The government initially claimed that Pereira was barred from leaving the country because he was the subject of an ongoing judicial investigation. However, authorities continued to prevent Pereira from leaving the country in September, even after a court order revoked earlier restraining measures that had required him to stay in Guinea-Bissau. Pereira was ultimately allowed to leave the country later that month.

In May 2022, UM party leader Agnelo Regala was shot at outside his home by unknown individuals. The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) announced that the matter would be investigated.

Women enjoy equal political rights, but cultural obstacles limit their participation in practice, and they are underrepresented in leadership positions. Just 14 women won seats in the March 2019 parliamentary elections. A 2018 law requires 36 percent of candidates on party lists to be women.

Ethnicity plays a role in politics, reducing the extent to which all groups’ interests are represented. For example, one of the country’s larger ethnic groups, the Balanta, has traditionally dominated the military and cast votes for the PRS.

Freedom of Expression and Belief

In recent years, armed men—some dressed in military clothing—have repeatedly attacked the privately owned Radio Capital FM station, which is allied to the opposition PAIGC, vandalizing its offices and destroying broadcasting equipment. In one such attack in February 2022, several people were injured while fleeing from the assailants, who were firing weapons in the broadcaster’s office.

Religious freedom is legally protected and usually respected in practice. Government licensing requirements are not onerous and are often disregarded. Some Muslims have reportedly raised concerns about the influence of foreign imams who preach a more rigorous or austere form of Islam, threatening religious tolerance.

In July 2022, a Catholic church in the city of Gabú was vandalized by a group of unknown individuals. Though both Christian and Islamic groups in Guinea-Bissau condemned the attack, President Embaló controversially dismissed the crime as inconsequential. Police opened an investigation into the incident, but the perpetrators had not been held accountable as of December.

Freedom of assembly is frequently restricted. The authorities repeatedly interfere with demonstrations linked to the political tensions between the presidency and the legislature. The state of emergency enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic banned assemblies of more than 25 people during 2020. The restrictions were prolonged by President Embaló for most of 2021 and prevented protesters from gathering during a period of high political tension.

Religious freedom is legally protected and usually respected in practice. Government licensing requirements are not onerous and are often disregarded. Some Muslims have reportedly raised concerns about the influence of foreign imams who preach a more rigorous or austere form of Islam, threatening religious tolerance

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are generally able to operate. Some groups have faced intimidation and other obstacles, particularly those that are associated with street demonstrations.

Several activists who criticized the government reported facing harassment, arbitrary detentions, and physical assaults throughout 2021, including Luís Vaz Martins—a lawyer and the former president of the LGDH—who was the target of an assassination attempt that August. Martins accused the president of ordering the attack.

Rule of Law

Judges are highly susceptible to corruption and political pressure, and the court system as a whole lacks the resources and capacity to function effectively.

Corruption is common among police, and officers often fail to observe legal safeguards against arbitrary arrest and detention. Very few criminal cases are brought to trial or successfully prosecuted, partly due to the limited material and human resources available to investigators. Most of the population lacks access to the justice system in practice.

In November 2022, government critic Marcelino Ntupé, acting legal representative for 18 people accused of taking part in the alleged coup attempt in February, was kidnapped from his home and severely beaten by a group of armed men. The president condemned the attack, which the LGDH attributed to “institutional violence” in the country.

Conditions in prisons and detention centers are often extremely poor, and law enforcement personnel generally enjoy impunity for abuses. Because of its weak institutions and porous borders, Guinea-Bissau has become a transit point for criminal organizations trafficking various types of contraband. The armed forces and other state entities have been linked to drug trafficking. In recent years, authorities have made some progress in combating the drug trade and organized crime.

A low-intensity conflict in Senegal’s Casamance region occasionally affects security across the border in Guinea-Bissau, where Senegalese rebels sometimes opera

Women face significant societal discrimination and traditional biases, despite some legal protections. They generally do not receive equal pay for similar work and have fewer opportunities for education and employment.

There are virtually no effective legal protections against discrimination on other grounds, including ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, though same-sex relations are not specifically criminalized.

Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights

There are few formal restrictions on freedom of movement, but widespread corruption among police and other public officials can limit this right in practice, as can criminal activity. At times, Senegalese rebel activity may restrict movement in the border area.

Illegal economic activity, including logging, by organized groups remains a problem. The quality of enforcement of property rights is generally poor, and the formal procedures for establishing a business are relatively onerous.

Women, particularly those from certain ethnic groups in rural areas, face restrictions on their ability to own and inherit property.

There are multiple constraints on personal social freedoms. Early and forced marriages remain common, especially in rural areas. The government, international organizations, and community leaders have worked to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM), though nearly half of the country’s women have suffered from such violence. Despite the existence of legislation to address gender-based violence, the problem is reportedly widespread; victims of rape and domestic abuse rarely report the crimes to authorities.

Boys are vulnerable to organized exploitation through forced begging and to forced labor in sectors including mining and agriculture. A rising number of Muslim children from Guinea-Bissau are trafficked by money-making schemes disguised as religious Quranic schools, particularly into Senegal.

Girls are frequently victims of sexual exploitation or domestic servitude. Government officials have been accused of complicity in trafficking activity, including sex tourism schemes in the Bijagós islands.