Guinea-Bissau Opposition Cancels Protests Over Violence Risks
The leader of Guinea-Bissau’s main opposition coalition, the Inclusive Alliance Platform (PAI-Terra Ranka), has called off a major anti-government march scheduled for Sunday, warning of an “imminent risk” of violent clashes with security forces.
Domingos Simões Pereira, who also heads the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), told reporters on Saturday that the decision followed a sobering assessment of the political climate. He alleged that security forces have displayed a “level of hatred” toward his supporters that makes a peaceful demonstration nearly impossible.
Avoiding a Bloodbath
“We believe that the security forces should not be part of the political game; they are not our adversaries,” Pereira said. “However, in reality, they are being used against PAI-Terra Ranka with a degree of animosity that cannot be a simple coincidence.”
The demonstration was intended to protest what the opposition describes as an “abuse of power and a lack of democracy” under President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. Pereira, who served as the president of the parliament before its controversial dissolution by Embaló, urged his followers to see the cancellation as a “sign of responsibility” rather than an act of cowardice.
“None of us are afraid,” Pereira insisted. “But as leaders of a political process, we must have the ability to assess the situation at every moment. More than being a hero, the important thing is to lead people to a safe destination.”
Rising Tensions and Allegations of Torture
The decision to halt the march comes in the wake of a violent crackdown earlier this week. According to the PAIGC and the Guinean Human Rights League, approximately 15 opposition leaders were detained and brutally beaten at police headquarters in Bissau last Wednesday while preparing for a smaller rally.
Pereira stated that the coalition now intends to investigate the circumstances surrounding these “detentions and beatings” and better understand why the state apparatus has taken such a hostile stance against the opposition.
A Nation in Limbo
Guinea-Bissau has been gripped by political instability since December 2023. Although PAI-Terra Ranka won an absolute majority in the June 2023 legislative elections, President Embaló dismissed the government and dissolved parliament just six months later, alleging an attempted coup d’état—a claim the opposition denies.
With the legislature dissolved and the winning coalition sidelined, the opposition maintains that the country has entered a period of constitutional crisis. By canceling Sunday’s march, PAI-Terra Ranka says it is attempting to prevent the political standoff from escalating into a full-blown humanitarian disaster.
Image: Pexels – Mohamed elamine M’siouri
