Guinea-Bissau has expelled two major Portuguese media outlets and ordered their journalists to leave the country, escalating tensions with Lisbon and raising questions about media freedom in the fragile West African state.
In a government decree issued on Friday, the administration of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló suspended the reporting activities of Portuguese state news agency Lusa and public broadcaster RTP Africa, including its radio arm, RDP Africa.
Reuters reports that the journalists have until August 19 to leave the country.
Foreign Minister Carlos Pinto Pereira confirmed the expulsions, telling journalists: “The expulsion is a government decision. We will provide the reasoning behind this decision at a press briefing, probably tomorrow (Saturday). We have received the reactions of the Portuguese government. We will address it in an appropriate forum.”
The diplomatic rift stems from President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, a former army general elected in 2019, who had pledged to serve only one term but announced in March that he would run again, despite opposition claims that his mandate expired in February.
He has since postponed elections to November 23, fueling accusations of clinging to power. On August 7, Embaló appointed Braima Camará as prime minister, the third since 2020, further heightening concerns about governance in a country long marked by coups, corruption, and contested authority.
The crackdown on Portuguese media also follows Embaló’s earlier threats to expel an ECOWAS mediation mission, which had attempted to broker consensus over the election timetable. Observers warn that the latest move could deepen Guinea-Bissau’s isolation at a time of heightened uncertainty.
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