By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Guinea-Bissau Junta Releases Detained Opposition Figures Amid Pressure to Restore Civil Rule
Guinea-Bissau’s military authorities have freed six opposition politicians who had been held since last month’s coup, a move the ruling the first junta says is aimed at easing political tensions and reopening the path to constitutional governance.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the High Military Command described the release as a “gesture of good faith,” signalling willingness to compromise as international pressure mounts for a return to civilian rule.
The freed politicians are known allies of Domingos Simões Pereira, leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), the party that led the country to independence in 1974. Pereira himself remains in detention following the November takeover.
Guinea-Bissau’s army seized power on November 26, overthrowing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló shortly after a disputed presidential election.
The military suspended the electoral process and announced it would oversee a one-year transitional period, placing the West African nation under direct military control.
Since the coup, several political figures have either been detained or forced into exile. Former presidential contender Fernando Dias sought refuge at Nigeria’s embassy in Bissau, where he was granted asylum, while Embaló fled the country after being briefly arrested by soldiers.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have intensified in recent days. On Sunday, Senegal’s foreign minister led a regional delegation to Guinea-Bissau, meeting with detained opposition figures and formally requesting their release.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has warned that it could impose targeted sanctions on individuals or institutions seen as obstructing the restoration of civilian government.
Guinea-Bissau has a long history of political instability.
Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has experienced four successful military coups alongside numerous failed uprisings, making it one of West Africa’s most politically fragile states.
Despite the release of the six politicians, uncertainty remains over the fate of other detainees and whether the military will honour its pledge to hand power back to an elected civilian administration at the end of the transition period.
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