Guinea-Bissau Frees General Daba Na Walna Amid Coup Allegations
Guinea-Bissau’s Military High Command has released General Daba Na Walna, the former president of the Supreme Military Court, following a year of detention on charges of an attempted coup. The move comes as the junta faces mounting pressure to restore constitutional order in the West African nation.
Court Order Finally Honored
General Na Walna’s lawyer, Augusto Nasambé, confirmed to local media that the general was released from Bissau’s 2nd Police Station and has returned home to his family. Three other military personnel involved in the same case were also freed. According to Nasambé, the Military High Command was finally complying with a Supreme Court of Justice order issued in July, which the military authorities had ignored for months.
Allegations of Political Manipulation
The general, who was serving as the director of the Military School at the time of his arrest, was detained in April on charges related to a purported coup attempt in October 2025. However, his legal team argues the charges were politically motivated. Nasambé claimed the previous regime used the detentions to pressure officers into incriminating Domingos Simões Pereira, the leader of the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde).
“The intention was clear: to force the detainees to name Pereira as the mastermind behind the alleged coup and effectively decapitate the party’s leadership,” Nasambé stated. Pereira, the elected president of parliament and a chief opposition figure, was also briefly detained in connection with the case before fleeing to Portugal.
Election Uncertainty Grips the Nation
The release occurs against a backdrop of deep political instability. Guinea-Bissau has been under military rule since a coup disrupted the legislative and presidential elections in late 2025. While the Military High Command initially scheduled fresh elections for December 6, the transition government’s Prime Minister, Ilídio Vieira Té, recently admitted that the country is not ready to head to the polls.
Vieira Té has called for a “broad national dialogue” between the military and political factions to determine a new electoral timeline. The delay risks further isolating the nation, which remains suspended from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) until constitutional order is restored. A CPLP delegation is scheduled to arrive in Bissau on November 3 to assess the situation.
Press Freedom Under Fire
International coverage of the crisis remains difficult. The Lusa news agency, which reported this story, continues to cover Guinea-Bissau remotely. The agency’s local operations were suspended in August 2025 after the government expelled representatives of several Portuguese media outlets.
Image: Pexels – Qwa Xels
