Four Activists Detained in Guinea-Bissau During a Protest against the Government.

On Sunday morning, four activists were arrested during a demonstration in Guinea-Bissau denouncing the "systematic violation" of the Constitution . The demonstration was organized by the civic organization "Po de Terra" and the platform of unions and youth organizations Frente Popular.

According to Armando Lona, coordinator of the Popular Front , the activists “were brutally detained.” The organization is monitoring the situation to “find out where they are and how they were treated.”

“Once again, the regime used the same method of repression,” declared Armando Lona. “We are in a difficult process, with a regime that does not respect any of the citizens' rights. Every time an opinion is expressed, it is interpreted as a threat, and we are targeted for persecution.”

According to a statement from the Black Consciousness collective, which Esquerda.net had access to, among those detained is Armando Formoso da Costa, a Portuguese-Guinean national who suffers from hemophilia. The collective therefore appeals to the Portuguese Government and the President of the Republic of Portugal to intervene in defense of the activists, "guaranteeing their safety."

The demonstration took place on Africa Day to demand freedom of expression, justice, and democracy in a regime that keeps the President in power beyond his term. Umaro Embaló continues to govern despite his term ending on February 27, 2025.

The Popular Front of Guinea-Bissau had already organized demonstrations in 2025 to demand the scheduling of presidential elections in accordance with the Constitution and electoral law. Parliament has been closed for a year and a half, and the Supreme Court of Justice is accused by the opposition of being "hijacked."

In anticipation of the demonstration, Vicar Luís Balanta, the secretary-general of the "Po de Terra" movement, had signaled to DW Africa his ambition to draw the attention of the international community to the problems plaguing the country, noting that "The installed regime does not respect the Constitution, it does not respect human rights."