International Community Re-engages with Guinea-Bissau Crisis
SEIXAL, Portugal – Guinea-Bissau is once again a priority for the international community, according to opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira. Speaking at a colloquium in Seixal on Monday, the leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) welcomed the renewed global attention on his country’s political crisis.
“I think we are all noticing a new momentum,” Pereira told Lusa news agency. “There was a period when it seemed the international community had abandoned the issue of Guinea, but it has now returned to their agenda. It is never too late to exert a positive influence.”
A Mission for Constitutional Order
His comments come ahead of a high-level mission from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), scheduled to visit Bissau from November 3 to 5. The mission aims to address the political deadlock that has gripped the nation since a military coup in November 2025 disrupted the electoral process.
While Pereira cautioned that no single mission holds a “magic wand” to solve the country’s deep-seated issues, he expects a firm stance from the visiting delegates. He urged the current transitional authorities to commit to a total break from the era of former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
“They cannot be selective, choosing which parts of the Sissoco period to abandon and which to preserve for their own benefit,” Pereira stressed. “What concerns all Guineans is a genuine return to constitutional normality through dialogue. Legitimacy must come from the free choice of the people.”
A Nation in Limbo
Guinea-Bissau has been suspended from CPLP activities since December 2025. The regional body maintains that the suspension will only be lifted once constitutional order is fully restored. While new elections were originally slated for December 6 of this year, officials announced earlier this month that the necessary conditions for a fair vote have not yet been met.
Clearing His Name
Pereira, the former Prime Minister and elected President of Parliament, has been in Lisbon since July 24. His arrival in Portugal followed a period of preventive detention in Bissau, where he faced allegations from military justice regarding an attempted coup in October 2025.
However, Pereira maintains his innocence and disputes the legality of his detention. He noted that the Supreme Court of Justice issued a ruling shortly after his arrival in Lisbon clarifying that there is no case against him.
“As a civilian citizen and the President of the National People’s Assembly, I never understood being summoned to a military court,” Pereira said, citing his parliamentary immunity and the specific legislation governing sovereign bodies. “The Guinean people know who I am. I am not associated with any criminal activity, and that conscience puts me at ease.”
Image: Pexels – Thuong D
