Guinea-Bissau Junta Rejects Mozambique President’s Criticism
Guinea-Bissau’s ruling military junta issued a blistering rebuke of Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Saturday, accusing him of a “lack of morality” after he criticized the political climate and the imprisonment of opposition figures in the West African nation.
The diplomatic spat was ignited by President Chapo’s Friday address, in which he condemned the detention of Guinea-Bissau’s opposition leader, Domingos Simões Pereira. Chapo argued that such political suppressions “should not happen” within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), a bloc of which both nations are members.
“Unprecedentedly Ridiculous”
In a communiqué released today, Guinea-Bissau’s National Transition Council—the body established by the military after the November 2025 coup—dismissed Chapo’s remarks as hypocritical. The council claimed it was “unprecedentedly ridiculous” for Mozambique to offer lectures on governance while facing its own domestic crises.
“Daniel Chapo tries to point a finger at Guinea-Bissau when his own country, Mozambique, is under fire and brimstone, torn apart by a bloody guerrilla war and terrorism that his administration is incapable of resolving,” the statement read. “A ruler who cannot guarantee the security, order, and peace of his own citizens should have the decency to lock himself in his palace and work, instead of sticking his nose into the affairs of a sovereign and stable state.”
Strained Relations Within the Lusophone World
The council further taunted President Chapo by referencing his own inauguration, which was marred by international boycotts and civil unrest. The military pointed out that while most CPLP leaders “turned their back” on Chapo during his swearing-in, the President of Guinea-Bissau was one of the few to show support during the “chaos and popular protest” in Maputo.
The military seized power in Guinea-Bissau in November 2025, interrupting general elections and plunging the country into diplomatic isolation. While a transition period is currently underway with elections scheduled for December 6, the nation remains suspended from the CPLP. Tensions have consistently flared between Bissau and other member states, including Portugal, Timor-Leste, and Cape Verde, over the junta’s refusal to concede power.
The CPLP remains the only international organization connected to the country that has yet to send a “good offices” mission to mediate the crisis since the coup took place.
Note: Coverage of Guinea-Bissau is currently being managed remotely, as the Lusa agency delegation in the country remains suspended following the government’s expulsion of Portuguese media representatives in August.
Image: Pexels – SINAL Multimédia
