| GUINEA-BISSAU Republic of Guinea-Bissau Republic da Guine-Bissau Joined United Nations: 17 September 1974 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 10/12/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Bissau
1,533,964 (July 2010 est.)
Carlos Domingos Gomes Júnior
Prime Minister since 02 January 2009
Prime Minister since 02 January 2009
Following the assassination of Joao Bernardo 'Nino' Viera special
presidential election was held on 28 June 2009. Sanha did not win a
clear majority and a runoff was held on 28 July 2009
Next scheduled election: 2013
presidential election was held on 28 June 2009. Sanha did not win a
clear majority and a runoff was held on 28 July 2009
Next scheduled election: 2013
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Prime minister appointed by the president
Next scheduled election: November 2012
Next scheduled election: November 2012
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
| RELIGIONS |
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic with 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Legal system is based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 28 June 2009 with a runoff between
the two leading candidates held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with
party leaders in the legislature
Legislative: Unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 November 2008 (next to be held November 2012)
Judicial: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his
pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for
Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not
necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)
Executive: President elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 28 June 2009 with a runoff between
the two leading candidates held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with
party leaders in the legislature
Legislative: Unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 November 2008 (next to be held November 2012)
Judicial: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his
pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for
Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not
necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)
| LANGUAGES |
Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The Mandinka arrived in Guinea-Bissau around the year 1200. One of the generals of Sundiata Keita, Tirmakhan Traore,
conquered the area making Kaabu Mali's western tinkuru, or outpost. By the beginning of the 14th century, much of Guinea-Bissau
was under the control of the Mali Empire and ruled by a Fama (provincial king) loyal to the Mansa of Mali. As in many places that
saw Mandinka migrations, many of Guinea-Bissau's native populations were dominated or assimilated with resisters being sold into
slavery via the trans-Sahara trade routes to Arab buyers. Guinea-Bissau was once the kingdom of Gabù (Kaabu), part of the Mali
Empire; parts of the kingdom persisted until the eighteenth century. The rivers of Guinea and the islands of Cape Verde were among
the first areas in Africa explored by the Portuguese, notably Nuno Tristão, in the 15th century. Portugal claimed Portuguese Guinea
in 1446, but few trading posts were established before 1600. In 1630, a "captaincy-general" of Portuguese Guinea was established
to administer the territory. With the cooperation of some local tribes, the Portuguese entered the slave trade and exported large
numbers of Africans to the Western Hemisphere via the Cape Verde Islands. Cacheu became one of the major slave centers, and a
small fort still stands in the town. The slave trade declined in the 19th century, and Bissau, originally founded as a military and
slave-trading center in 1765, grew to become the major commercial center. Portuguese conquest and consolidation of the interior
did not begin until the latter half of the 19th century. Portugal lost part of Guinea to French West Africa, including the center of
earlier Portuguese commercial interest, the Casamance River region. A dispute with Britain over the island of Bolama was settled in
Portugal's favor with the involvement of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. Before World War I, Portuguese forces, with some
assistance from the Muslim population, subdued animist tribes and eventually established the territory's borders. The interior of
Portuguese Guinea was brought under control after more than 30 years of fighting; final subjugation of the Bijagós Islands did not
occur until 1936. The administrative capital was moved from Bolama to Bissau in 1941, and in 1952, by constitutional amendment,
the colony of Portuguese Guinea became an overseas province of Portugal. In 1956, the African Party for the Independence of
Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) was organized clandestinely by Amílcar Cabral and Rafael Barbosa. The PAIGC moved its
headquarters to Conakry, Guinea, in 1960 and started an armed rebellion against the Portuguese in 1961 (for a detailed account of
this struggle, see the PAIGC page). Despite the presence of Portuguese troops, which grew to more than 35,000, the PAIGC
steadily expanded its influence until, by 1968, it controlled most of the country. It established civilian rule in the territory under its
control and held elections for a National Assembly. Portuguese forces and civilians increasingly were confined to their garrisons and
larger towns. The Portuguese Governor and Commander in Chief from 1968 to 1973, General António de Spínola, returned to
Portugal and led the movement which brought democracy to Portugal and independence for its colonies. Amílcar Cabral was
assassinated in Conakry in 1973, and party leadership fell to Aristides Pereira, who later became the first president of the Republic
of Cape Verde. The PAIGC National Assembly met at Boe in the southeastern region and declared the independence of
Guinea-Bissau on September 24, 1973 and was recognized by a 93-7 UN General Assembly vote in November [1] ,
unprecedented as it denounced illegal Portuguese aggression and occupation and was prior to complete control and Portuguese
recognition. Following Portugal's April 1974 Carnation Revolution, it granted independence to Guinea-Bissau on September 10,
1974. Luís Cabral, Amílcar Cabral's half-brother, became President of Guinea-Bissau. In late 1980, the government was
overthrown in a relatively bloodless coup led by Prime Minister and former armed forces commander João Bernardo Vieira. From
November 1980 to May 1984, power was held by a provisional government responsible to a Revolutionary Council headed by
President João Bernardo Vieira. In 1984, the council was dissolved, and the National Popular Assembly (ANP) was reconstituted.
The single-party assembly approved a new constitution, elected President Vieira to a new 5-year term, and elected a Council of
State, which was the executive agent of the ANP. Under this system, the president presides over the Council of State and serves as
head of state and government. The president also was head of the PAIGC and commander in chief of the armed forces. There were
alleged coup plots against the Vieira government in 1983, 1985, and 1993. In 1986, first Vice President Paulo Correia and five
others were executed for treason following a lengthy trial. In 1994, 20 years after independence from Portugal, the country's first
multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held. An army uprising that triggered the Guinea-Bissau Civil War in 1998,
created hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. The president was ousted by a military junta in May 7, 1999. An interim
government turned over power in February 2000 when opposition leader Kumba Ialá took office following two rounds of
transparent presidential elections. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy has been complicated by a crippled economy
devastated by civil war and the military's predilection for governmental meddling. In September 2003 a bloodless coup took place
in which the military, headed by General Veríssimo Correia Seabra, arrested Ialá, because "he was unable to solve the problems".
After being delayed several times, legislative elections were held in April 2004. A mutiny of military factions in October 2004
resulted in the death of General Seabra and others, and caused widespread unrest. The Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior has
stated that the mutineers were ex-UN soldiers recently returned from Liberia who were angry about delays in being paid. Talks
between these soldiers and the authorities have so far failed to come to an agreement. In June 2005, presidential elections were held
for the first time since the coup that deposed Ialá. Ialá returned as the candidate for the PRS, claiming to be the legitimate president
of the country, but the election was won by former president João Bernardo Vieira, deposed in the 1998 coup. Vieira was a
candidate for one sect of the PAIGC. Vieira defeated Malam Bacai Sanha in a runoff-election, but Sanha refused initially to
concede, claiming that the elections had been fraudulent in two constituencies, including the capital Bissau. Despite reports that there
had been an influx of arms in the weeks leading up to the election and reports of some 'disturbances during campaigning' - including
attacks on the presidential palace and the Interior Ministry by as-yet-unidentified gunmen - European monitors labelled the election
as "calm and organized". President Joao Bernardo Vieira was killed by renegade soldiers on 02 March 2009, The military denies a
coup has taken place. Country's most recent (bloodless) coup was in 2003 but is thought to have been a revenge attack, after the
army chief of staff, a chief political rival, died in an explosion a few hours earlier.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Guinea-Bissau
conquered the area making Kaabu Mali's western tinkuru, or outpost. By the beginning of the 14th century, much of Guinea-Bissau
was under the control of the Mali Empire and ruled by a Fama (provincial king) loyal to the Mansa of Mali. As in many places that
saw Mandinka migrations, many of Guinea-Bissau's native populations were dominated or assimilated with resisters being sold into
slavery via the trans-Sahara trade routes to Arab buyers. Guinea-Bissau was once the kingdom of Gabù (Kaabu), part of the Mali
Empire; parts of the kingdom persisted until the eighteenth century. The rivers of Guinea and the islands of Cape Verde were among
the first areas in Africa explored by the Portuguese, notably Nuno Tristão, in the 15th century. Portugal claimed Portuguese Guinea
in 1446, but few trading posts were established before 1600. In 1630, a "captaincy-general" of Portuguese Guinea was established
to administer the territory. With the cooperation of some local tribes, the Portuguese entered the slave trade and exported large
numbers of Africans to the Western Hemisphere via the Cape Verde Islands. Cacheu became one of the major slave centers, and a
small fort still stands in the town. The slave trade declined in the 19th century, and Bissau, originally founded as a military and
slave-trading center in 1765, grew to become the major commercial center. Portuguese conquest and consolidation of the interior
did not begin until the latter half of the 19th century. Portugal lost part of Guinea to French West Africa, including the center of
earlier Portuguese commercial interest, the Casamance River region. A dispute with Britain over the island of Bolama was settled in
Portugal's favor with the involvement of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. Before World War I, Portuguese forces, with some
assistance from the Muslim population, subdued animist tribes and eventually established the territory's borders. The interior of
Portuguese Guinea was brought under control after more than 30 years of fighting; final subjugation of the Bijagós Islands did not
occur until 1936. The administrative capital was moved from Bolama to Bissau in 1941, and in 1952, by constitutional amendment,
the colony of Portuguese Guinea became an overseas province of Portugal. In 1956, the African Party for the Independence of
Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) was organized clandestinely by Amílcar Cabral and Rafael Barbosa. The PAIGC moved its
headquarters to Conakry, Guinea, in 1960 and started an armed rebellion against the Portuguese in 1961 (for a detailed account of
this struggle, see the PAIGC page). Despite the presence of Portuguese troops, which grew to more than 35,000, the PAIGC
steadily expanded its influence until, by 1968, it controlled most of the country. It established civilian rule in the territory under its
control and held elections for a National Assembly. Portuguese forces and civilians increasingly were confined to their garrisons and
larger towns. The Portuguese Governor and Commander in Chief from 1968 to 1973, General António de Spínola, returned to
Portugal and led the movement which brought democracy to Portugal and independence for its colonies. Amílcar Cabral was
assassinated in Conakry in 1973, and party leadership fell to Aristides Pereira, who later became the first president of the Republic
of Cape Verde. The PAIGC National Assembly met at Boe in the southeastern region and declared the independence of
Guinea-Bissau on September 24, 1973 and was recognized by a 93-7 UN General Assembly vote in November [1] ,
unprecedented as it denounced illegal Portuguese aggression and occupation and was prior to complete control and Portuguese
recognition. Following Portugal's April 1974 Carnation Revolution, it granted independence to Guinea-Bissau on September 10,
1974. Luís Cabral, Amílcar Cabral's half-brother, became President of Guinea-Bissau. In late 1980, the government was
overthrown in a relatively bloodless coup led by Prime Minister and former armed forces commander João Bernardo Vieira. From
November 1980 to May 1984, power was held by a provisional government responsible to a Revolutionary Council headed by
President João Bernardo Vieira. In 1984, the council was dissolved, and the National Popular Assembly (ANP) was reconstituted.
The single-party assembly approved a new constitution, elected President Vieira to a new 5-year term, and elected a Council of
State, which was the executive agent of the ANP. Under this system, the president presides over the Council of State and serves as
head of state and government. The president also was head of the PAIGC and commander in chief of the armed forces. There were
alleged coup plots against the Vieira government in 1983, 1985, and 1993. In 1986, first Vice President Paulo Correia and five
others were executed for treason following a lengthy trial. In 1994, 20 years after independence from Portugal, the country's first
multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held. An army uprising that triggered the Guinea-Bissau Civil War in 1998,
created hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. The president was ousted by a military junta in May 7, 1999. An interim
government turned over power in February 2000 when opposition leader Kumba Ialá took office following two rounds of
transparent presidential elections. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy has been complicated by a crippled economy
devastated by civil war and the military's predilection for governmental meddling. In September 2003 a bloodless coup took place
in which the military, headed by General Veríssimo Correia Seabra, arrested Ialá, because "he was unable to solve the problems".
After being delayed several times, legislative elections were held in April 2004. A mutiny of military factions in October 2004
resulted in the death of General Seabra and others, and caused widespread unrest. The Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior has
stated that the mutineers were ex-UN soldiers recently returned from Liberia who were angry about delays in being paid. Talks
between these soldiers and the authorities have so far failed to come to an agreement. In June 2005, presidential elections were held
for the first time since the coup that deposed Ialá. Ialá returned as the candidate for the PRS, claiming to be the legitimate president
of the country, but the election was won by former president João Bernardo Vieira, deposed in the 1998 coup. Vieira was a
candidate for one sect of the PAIGC. Vieira defeated Malam Bacai Sanha in a runoff-election, but Sanha refused initially to
concede, claiming that the elections had been fraudulent in two constituencies, including the capital Bissau. Despite reports that there
had been an influx of arms in the weeks leading up to the election and reports of some 'disturbances during campaigning' - including
attacks on the presidential palace and the Interior Ministry by as-yet-unidentified gunmen - European monitors labelled the election
as "calm and organized". President Joao Bernardo Vieira was killed by renegade soldiers on 02 March 2009, The military denies a
coup has taken place. Country's most recent (bloodless) coup was in 2003 but is thought to have been a revenge attack, after the
army chief of staff, a chief political rival, died in an explosion a few hours earlier.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Guinea-Bissau
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
One of the six poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased
remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks fifth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along
with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting
between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused
widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002.
Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program
under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate
the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term
prospect. Offshore oil prospecting is underway in several sectors but has not yet led to commercially viable crude deposits. The
inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work
out plans to forward economic development from a low base. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced
to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total
national budget. Government drift and indecision, however, resulted in continued low growth in 2002-06. Higher raw material prices
boosted growth in 2007-09.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Guinea-Bissau)
remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks fifth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along
with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting
between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused
widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002.
Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program
under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate
the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term
prospect. Offshore oil prospecting is underway in several sectors but has not yet led to commercially viable crude deposits. The
inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work
out plans to forward economic development from a low base. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced
to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total
national budget. Government drift and indecision, however, resulted in continued low growth in 2002-06. Higher raw material prices
boosted growth in 2007-09.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Guinea-Bissau)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
In Guinea-Bissau in 1989, the ruling African Independence Party of Guinea and Cape Verde(PAIGC) under the direction of
President João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira began to outline a political liberalization program which the People's National Assembly
approved in 1991. Reforms that paved the way for multi-party democracy included the repeal of articles of the constitution, which
had enshrined the leading role of the PAIGC. Laws were ratified to allow the formation of other political parties, a free press, and
independent trade unions with the right to strike.
Guinea-Bissau's first multi-party elections for president and parliament were held in 1994. Following the 1998-99 civil war,
presidential and legislative elections were again held, bringing opposition leader Kumba Ialá and his Party for Social Renewal to
power. Ialá was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003, and Henrique Rosa was sworn in as President.
Former President Viera was once again elected as President in July 2005. The government of Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior
was elected in March 2004 in a free and fair election round, but was replaced by the government of Prime Minister Aristides
Gomes which took office already in November 2005. Aristides Gomes lost a no-confidence vote and submitted his resignation in
March 2007. Martinho Ndafa Kabi was proposed as prime minister by a coalition composed of the PAIGC, the Social Renewal
Party (PRS), and the United Social Democratic Party (PUSD). In the November 2008 legislative election, PAIGC won a majority
of 67 out of 100 seats in the National People's Assembly. Gomes himself was elected to a seat as a PAIGC candidate in the 24th
constituency, located in Bissau. Following the election, Vieira appointed Gomes as Prime Minister on December 25, 2008. Gomes
said on this occasion that his government would focus on "good governance and a reform of the justice system" and that he and
Vieira would "put aside any personal differences" in order to work towards solving the country's problems.[3] He was sworn in on
January 2, 2009.
On March 2, 2009 President João Bernardo Vieira was assassinated by what preliminary reports indicated to be a group of
soldiers avenging the death of the head of joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Wai. Tagme died in an explosion on
Sunday, March 1, 2009 in an assassination apparently ordered by President Vieira. Military leaders in the country have pledged to
respect the constitutional order of succession and plan to appoint National Assembly Speaker Raimundo Pereira as an interim
president until a nationwide election in 60 days. Malam Bacai Sanha was elected president on 26 July 2009.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Guinea-Bissau
President João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira began to outline a political liberalization program which the People's National Assembly
approved in 1991. Reforms that paved the way for multi-party democracy included the repeal of articles of the constitution, which
had enshrined the leading role of the PAIGC. Laws were ratified to allow the formation of other political parties, a free press, and
independent trade unions with the right to strike.
Guinea-Bissau's first multi-party elections for president and parliament were held in 1994. Following the 1998-99 civil war,
presidential and legislative elections were again held, bringing opposition leader Kumba Ialá and his Party for Social Renewal to
power. Ialá was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003, and Henrique Rosa was sworn in as President.
Former President Viera was once again elected as President in July 2005. The government of Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior
was elected in March 2004 in a free and fair election round, but was replaced by the government of Prime Minister Aristides
Gomes which took office already in November 2005. Aristides Gomes lost a no-confidence vote and submitted his resignation in
March 2007. Martinho Ndafa Kabi was proposed as prime minister by a coalition composed of the PAIGC, the Social Renewal
Party (PRS), and the United Social Democratic Party (PUSD). In the November 2008 legislative election, PAIGC won a majority
of 67 out of 100 seats in the National People's Assembly. Gomes himself was elected to a seat as a PAIGC candidate in the 24th
constituency, located in Bissau. Following the election, Vieira appointed Gomes as Prime Minister on December 25, 2008. Gomes
said on this occasion that his government would focus on "good governance and a reform of the justice system" and that he and
Vieira would "put aside any personal differences" in order to work towards solving the country's problems.[3] He was sworn in on
January 2, 2009.
On March 2, 2009 President João Bernardo Vieira was assassinated by what preliminary reports indicated to be a group of
soldiers avenging the death of the head of joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Wai. Tagme died in an explosion on
Sunday, March 1, 2009 in an assassination apparently ordered by President Vieira. Military leaders in the country have pledged to
respect the constitutional order of succession and plan to appoint National Assembly Speaker Raimundo Pereira as an interim
president until a nationwide election in 60 days. Malam Bacai Sanha was elected president on 26 July 2009.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Guinea-Bissau
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
In 2006, political instability within Senegal's Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids,
and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau.
and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
Refugees (country of origin): 7,454 (Senegal) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker
operations thanks to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling
operations thanks to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Guinea-Bissau
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Guinea-Bissau is a multiparty republic with a population of approximately 1.7 million. On July 26, Malam Bacai Sanha of the African
Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) was elected president in elections that international observers declared
free and fair; Carlos Gomes, Jr., was appointed prime minister on January 2 by former president João Bernardo Vieira. The presidential
election followed the March 2 assassination of former president Vieira by the military as revenge for the bombing death a few hours
earlier of former armed forces chief of staff General Jose Batista Tagme Na Waie. Speaker of Parliament Raimundo Pereira served as
interim president between the assassination and Sanha's election. During the year members of the military were responsible for
assassinating the president, the former armed forces chief of staff, a member of parliament, and a presidential candidate, providing
further evidence that civilian authorities did not maintain effective control of the security forces.
Human rights abuses included the following:
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Guinea-Bissau is a multiparty republic with a population of approximately 1.7 million. On July 26, Malam Bacai Sanha of the African
Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) was elected president in elections that international observers declared
free and fair; Carlos Gomes, Jr., was appointed prime minister on January 2 by former president João Bernardo Vieira. The presidential
election followed the March 2 assassination of former president Vieira by the military as revenge for the bombing death a few hours
earlier of former armed forces chief of staff General Jose Batista Tagme Na Waie. Speaker of Parliament Raimundo Pereira served as
interim president between the assassination and Sanha's election. During the year members of the military were responsible for
assassinating the president, the former armed forces chief of staff, a member of parliament, and a presidential candidate, providing
further evidence that civilian authorities did not maintain effective control of the security forces.
Human rights abuses included the following:
- arbitrary and politically motivated killings;
- beatings and torture;
- poor conditions of detention;
- arbitrary arrest and detention;
- lack of judicial independence and due process;
- interference with privacy;
- journalist intimidation;
- widespread official corruption, exacerbated by suspected government involvement in drug trafficking;
- impunity;
- violence and discrimination against women;
- female genital mutilation (FGM);
- child trafficking;
- child labor, including some forced labor.
7 August 2009
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Forty-forth session
20 July – 7 August 2009
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Guinea-Bissau
Introduction
2. The Committee commends the State party for ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women without reservations. It expresses its appreciation to the State party for its combined initial, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth
periodic reports, which provided a candid picture of the situation of women in Guinea-Bissau, while regretting that the report was long
overdue, and did not follow the Committee’s guidelines for the preparation of reports or reference the General Recommendations of
the Committee. The Committee also expresses its appreciation for the written replies to the list of issues and questions raised by the
presession working group, and for the oral presentation and responses to the questions posed by the Committee.
Positive aspects
4. The Committee welcomes the creation, in 2000, of the Institute for Women and Children as an operational structure for the
development and coordination of policies on women’s rights, gender equality and the advancement of women.
5. The Committee commends the State party for ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women in August 2009.
Principal areas of concern and recommendations
7. While recalling the State party’s obligation systematically and continuously to implement all the provisions of the Convention, the
Committee views the concerns and recommendations identified in the present concluding observations as requiring the priority attention
of the State party between now and the submission of the next periodic report. Consequently, the Committee calls upon the State party
to focus on those areas in its implementation activities and to report on action taken and results achieved in its next periodic report. It
also calls upon the State party to submit the present concluding observations to all relevant ministries, other Government structures at all
levels, to Parliament and the judiciary in order to ensure their effective implementation.
Parliament
8. While reaffirming that the Government has the primary responsibility and is particularly accountable for the full implementation of the
State party’s obligations under the Convention, the Committee stresses that the Convention is binding on all branches of Government and
invites the State party to encourage its national Parliament, in line with its mandate and procedures, where appropriate, to take the
necessary steps with regard to the implementation of these concluding observations and the Government’s next reporting process under
the Convention.
Click here to read more »
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Forty-forth session
20 July – 7 August 2009
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Guinea-Bissau
Introduction
2. The Committee commends the State party for ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women without reservations. It expresses its appreciation to the State party for its combined initial, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth
periodic reports, which provided a candid picture of the situation of women in Guinea-Bissau, while regretting that the report was long
overdue, and did not follow the Committee’s guidelines for the preparation of reports or reference the General Recommendations of
the Committee. The Committee also expresses its appreciation for the written replies to the list of issues and questions raised by the
presession working group, and for the oral presentation and responses to the questions posed by the Committee.
Positive aspects
4. The Committee welcomes the creation, in 2000, of the Institute for Women and Children as an operational structure for the
development and coordination of policies on women’s rights, gender equality and the advancement of women.
5. The Committee commends the State party for ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women in August 2009.
Principal areas of concern and recommendations
7. While recalling the State party’s obligation systematically and continuously to implement all the provisions of the Convention, the
Committee views the concerns and recommendations identified in the present concluding observations as requiring the priority attention
of the State party between now and the submission of the next periodic report. Consequently, the Committee calls upon the State party
to focus on those areas in its implementation activities and to report on action taken and results achieved in its next periodic report. It
also calls upon the State party to submit the present concluding observations to all relevant ministries, other Government structures at all
levels, to Parliament and the judiciary in order to ensure their effective implementation.
Parliament
8. While reaffirming that the Government has the primary responsibility and is particularly accountable for the full implementation of the
State party’s obligations under the Convention, the Committee stresses that the Convention is binding on all branches of Government and
invites the State party to encourage its national Parliament, in line with its mandate and procedures, where appropriate, to take the
necessary steps with regard to the implementation of these concluding observations and the Government’s next reporting process under
the Convention.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 4
Civil Liberties Score: 4
Status: Partly Free
Overview
The assassinations of General Batista Tagme Na Wai and President Joao Bernardo Vieira in March 2009 plunged Guinea-Bissau into a
period of acute disorder. However, despite an upsurge in political violence following the assassinations, Malam Bacai Sanha was elected
president in a two-round vote in June and July that was deemed free and fair by international observers. The country’s chronic instability
continued to be fueled by military interference in politics and the influence of international drug cartels.
Legislative elections scheduled for March 2008 were postponed to November due to insufficient funds and planning. Although the run-
up to the voting was marred by uncertainty and an alleged coup plot by navy commander Bubo Na Tchuto, the PAIGC won a
resounding victory, and the polls were hailed by the international community and Bissau-Guineans as free and transparent. The PAIGC
won 67 seats in the 100-seat legislature, while the PRS won 28 and a newly created party backed by Vieira, the Republican Party for
Independence and Development (PRID), won three. Carlos Gomes Junior of the PAIGC once again became prime minister.
On March 1, 2009, General Batista Tagme Na Wai, the armed forces chief of staff, was killed in a bombing at military headquarters. The
following morning, soldiers attacked the presidential palace and assassinated Vieira. National People’s Assembly speaker Raimundo
Pereira was sworn in as interim president on March 3, in keeping with the constitution, and a new presidential election was eventually
scheduled for June 28. Political violence escalated during the campaign. On June 5, presidential candidate Baciro Dabo and former
defense minister Helder Proenca were both killed; the Interior Ministry claimed that they were shot while resisting arrest for involvement
in an alleged coup plot. Several other prominent political figures were also arrested that day.
Despite a wave of violence and intimidation tactics, the first round of the presidential election was held as scheduled. Sanha of the
PAIGC placed first with 39.6 percent of the vote, followed by Yala of the PRS with 29.4 percent and independent Henrique Rosa with
24.2 percent. In the July 26 runoff, Sanha defeated Yala, 63.5 percent to 36.5 percent. International observers reported that both rounds
were peaceful, free, and transparent. Sanha was sworn in as president in September, pledging to work on security-sector reform and
combat drug trafficking.
Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, is currently carrying out reforms to improve fiscal stability as part of a $5.6 million
Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance (EPCA) program initiated by the International Monetary Fund. Discussions are under way to begin
work on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program in 2010. Angolan investment in bauxite mining and a European
Union–financed project to rehabilitate roadways have also been announced.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 4
Civil Liberties Score: 4
Status: Partly Free
Overview
The assassinations of General Batista Tagme Na Wai and President Joao Bernardo Vieira in March 2009 plunged Guinea-Bissau into a
period of acute disorder. However, despite an upsurge in political violence following the assassinations, Malam Bacai Sanha was elected
president in a two-round vote in June and July that was deemed free and fair by international observers. The country’s chronic instability
continued to be fueled by military interference in politics and the influence of international drug cartels.
Legislative elections scheduled for March 2008 were postponed to November due to insufficient funds and planning. Although the run-
up to the voting was marred by uncertainty and an alleged coup plot by navy commander Bubo Na Tchuto, the PAIGC won a
resounding victory, and the polls were hailed by the international community and Bissau-Guineans as free and transparent. The PAIGC
won 67 seats in the 100-seat legislature, while the PRS won 28 and a newly created party backed by Vieira, the Republican Party for
Independence and Development (PRID), won three. Carlos Gomes Junior of the PAIGC once again became prime minister.
On March 1, 2009, General Batista Tagme Na Wai, the armed forces chief of staff, was killed in a bombing at military headquarters. The
following morning, soldiers attacked the presidential palace and assassinated Vieira. National People’s Assembly speaker Raimundo
Pereira was sworn in as interim president on March 3, in keeping with the constitution, and a new presidential election was eventually
scheduled for June 28. Political violence escalated during the campaign. On June 5, presidential candidate Baciro Dabo and former
defense minister Helder Proenca were both killed; the Interior Ministry claimed that they were shot while resisting arrest for involvement
in an alleged coup plot. Several other prominent political figures were also arrested that day.
Despite a wave of violence and intimidation tactics, the first round of the presidential election was held as scheduled. Sanha of the
PAIGC placed first with 39.6 percent of the vote, followed by Yala of the PRS with 29.4 percent and independent Henrique Rosa with
24.2 percent. In the July 26 runoff, Sanha defeated Yala, 63.5 percent to 36.5 percent. International observers reported that both rounds
were peaceful, free, and transparent. Sanha was sworn in as president in September, pledging to work on security-sector reform and
combat drug trafficking.
Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, is currently carrying out reforms to improve fiscal stability as part of a $5.6 million
Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance (EPCA) program initiated by the International Monetary Fund. Discussions are under way to begin
work on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program in 2010. Angolan investment in bauxite mining and a European
Union–financed project to rehabilitate roadways have also been announced.
Click here to read more »
PUBLIC STATEMENT
5 October 2010
Guinea-Bissau: Amnesty International welcomes commitment to criminalize female genital mutilation and urges Guinea-
Bissau to end the prevailing impunity for human rights violations committed by armed forces
Amnesty International welcomes Guinea-Bissau’s engagement with the Universal Periodic Review and its support for a number of
important recommendations, including to adopt a law criminalising female genital mutilation.1It further welcomes Guinea-Bissau’s
statement that two recommendations to prohibit discrimination against women by law and in the Constitution are in the process of being
implemented.2
Amnesty International encourages Guinea-Bissau to reconsider and support the recommendation to take measures to combat harmful
traditional practices, such as forced and early marriage.3
Amnesty International welcomes Guinea-Bissau’s support for recommendations to ratify international human rights treaties, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
Court. The organization urges Guinea-Bissau to proceed to their ratification and implementation in national law without delay.4
Amnesty International regrets that Guinea-Bissau did not support five key recommendations, among them, to make human rights
education and training a prerequisite to joining the armed forces, to send a clear signal that human rights violations committed by the
armed forces will not be tolerated, and to bring to justice members of the armed forces responsible for violations, without exception and
regardless of rank.5
These recommendations are particularly pertinent given the impunity enjoyed by members of the armed forces for human rights
violations. The political killings that occurred in March and June 2009, including of former President Vieira and General Tagme na Waie,
remain unpunished. Moreover, soldiers continue to arbitrarily arrest, detain and torture civilians as well as other military personnel.
Former Chief of Staff Vice-Admiral Induta Zamora has been held incommunicado and without charge since his arrest on 1 April 2010.
Amnesty International urges Guinea-Bissau to end the prevailing impunity as a matter of urgency.
Click here to read more »
5 October 2010
Guinea-Bissau: Amnesty International welcomes commitment to criminalize female genital mutilation and urges Guinea-
Bissau to end the prevailing impunity for human rights violations committed by armed forces
Amnesty International welcomes Guinea-Bissau’s engagement with the Universal Periodic Review and its support for a number of
important recommendations, including to adopt a law criminalising female genital mutilation.1It further welcomes Guinea-Bissau’s
statement that two recommendations to prohibit discrimination against women by law and in the Constitution are in the process of being
implemented.2
Amnesty International encourages Guinea-Bissau to reconsider and support the recommendation to take measures to combat harmful
traditional practices, such as forced and early marriage.3
Amnesty International welcomes Guinea-Bissau’s support for recommendations to ratify international human rights treaties, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
Court. The organization urges Guinea-Bissau to proceed to their ratification and implementation in national law without delay.4
Amnesty International regrets that Guinea-Bissau did not support five key recommendations, among them, to make human rights
education and training a prerequisite to joining the armed forces, to send a clear signal that human rights violations committed by the
armed forces will not be tolerated, and to bring to justice members of the armed forces responsible for violations, without exception and
regardless of rank.5
These recommendations are particularly pertinent given the impunity enjoyed by members of the armed forces for human rights
violations. The political killings that occurred in March and June 2009, including of former President Vieira and General Tagme na Waie,
remain unpunished. Moreover, soldiers continue to arbitrarily arrest, detain and torture civilians as well as other military personnel.
Former Chief of Staff Vice-Admiral Induta Zamora has been held incommunicado and without charge since his arrest on 1 April 2010.
Amnesty International urges Guinea-Bissau to end the prevailing impunity as a matter of urgency.
Click here to read more »
Guinea-Bissau: Pass Anti-Trafficking Law
Prevent Children From Being Taken Across Borders to Face Abuse, Exploitation
July 20, 2010
(Dakar) - Guinea-Bissau's National Assembly should act quickly to pass a law criminalizing human trafficking, Human Rights Watch,
SOS Talibé Children, and the Association of the Friends of Children said today. The draft law, which the Assembly recently placed on its
agenda for its October-November session, would empower police, judicial officials, and civil society to improve protection of the
country's children, thousands of whom are trafficked from Guinea-Bissau to Senegal and other countries each year.
Guinea-Bissau, a West African country of 1.5 million people, currently has no law against human trafficking. Child trafficking is a
serious problem, which appears to be growing in Guinea-Bissau, where thousands of children are moved each year both internally and
across borders for the purpose of exploitation, including for agricultural labor and forced begging.
"This important piece of legislation is the first step to combat the serious problem of child trafficking from Guinea-Bissau," said Corinne
Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Guinea-Bissau's National Assembly would finally send the right signal to
human traffickers that the country intends to protect its children."
The draft law would harmonize domestic law with the country's international obligations, including the United Nations Protocol to
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, which Guinea-Bissau ratified in 2007. Past attempts to place the current draft law
on the National Assembly's agenda - and pass it into law - have repeatedly stalled.
SOS Talibé Children (SOS Crianças Talibés) and the Association of the Friends of Children (Associação dos Amigos da Criança) are
both Guinea-Bissau-based child-assistance organizations with operations across the country. They have worked to ensure passage of the
anti-trafficking law.
Human Rights Watch documented in an April 2010 report how each year thousands of boys are brought north from Guinea-Bissau to
Senegal by their teachers or an intermediary, purportedly to study in daaras, or residential Quranic schools. Some boys described to
Human Rights Watch being taken by clandestine routes between border villages at night, sometimes on foot, to evade detection.
Once in Senegal, most are forced to beg and suffer conditions akin to slavery by their Quranic teachers in the daaras. Many of these
boys suffer severe physical and psychological abuse for failing to meet daily quotas of money, rice, and sugar demanded by their
teachers. They also suffer from severe malnutrition and frequently from disease as a result of long hours on the street, abysmal
conditions in the daara, and a lack of medical care.
Click here to read more »
Prevent Children From Being Taken Across Borders to Face Abuse, Exploitation
July 20, 2010
(Dakar) - Guinea-Bissau's National Assembly should act quickly to pass a law criminalizing human trafficking, Human Rights Watch,
SOS Talibé Children, and the Association of the Friends of Children said today. The draft law, which the Assembly recently placed on its
agenda for its October-November session, would empower police, judicial officials, and civil society to improve protection of the
country's children, thousands of whom are trafficked from Guinea-Bissau to Senegal and other countries each year.
Guinea-Bissau, a West African country of 1.5 million people, currently has no law against human trafficking. Child trafficking is a
serious problem, which appears to be growing in Guinea-Bissau, where thousands of children are moved each year both internally and
across borders for the purpose of exploitation, including for agricultural labor and forced begging.
"This important piece of legislation is the first step to combat the serious problem of child trafficking from Guinea-Bissau," said Corinne
Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Guinea-Bissau's National Assembly would finally send the right signal to
human traffickers that the country intends to protect its children."
The draft law would harmonize domestic law with the country's international obligations, including the United Nations Protocol to
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, which Guinea-Bissau ratified in 2007. Past attempts to place the current draft law
on the National Assembly's agenda - and pass it into law - have repeatedly stalled.
SOS Talibé Children (SOS Crianças Talibés) and the Association of the Friends of Children (Associação dos Amigos da Criança) are
both Guinea-Bissau-based child-assistance organizations with operations across the country. They have worked to ensure passage of the
anti-trafficking law.
Human Rights Watch documented in an April 2010 report how each year thousands of boys are brought north from Guinea-Bissau to
Senegal by their teachers or an intermediary, purportedly to study in daaras, or residential Quranic schools. Some boys described to
Human Rights Watch being taken by clandestine routes between border villages at night, sometimes on foot, to evade detection.
Once in Senegal, most are forced to beg and suffer conditions akin to slavery by their Quranic teachers in the daaras. Many of these
boys suffer severe physical and psychological abuse for failing to meet daily quotas of money, rice, and sugar demanded by their
teachers. They also suffer from severe malnutrition and frequently from disease as a result of long hours on the street, abysmal
conditions in the daara, and a lack of medical care.
Click here to read more »
President says Guinea-Bissau 'calm'
PM and army chief held but president dismisses unrest as "confusion between soldiers".
Last Modified: 02 Apr 2010 02:39
Guinea-Bissau's president has said the situation in his country is "calm" after soldiers arrested the army chief and prime minister in an
apparent coup attempt.
Malam Bacai Sanha told public radio on Thursday that the army chief had been detained and the prime minister – who had earlier been
taken by soldiers - was at home, apparently under house arrest.
Sanha put the situation down to some "confusion between soldiers".
A military source said soldiers had escorted Carlos Gomes Jr, the prime minister, to his home after his arrest and soldiers were
controlling the streets in the area.
About 40 officers were also said to have been arrested.
Antonio Indjai, the newly-designated army chief, said on national radio that the show of force by mutinous solders was purely a military
problem and the army remained submissive to political power.
"The Guinea-Bissau armed forces would like to make the point that events which occurred this Thursday morning are a purely military
problem and do not concern the civil government.
"The army reiterates its attachment and its submission to political power. Military institutions remain, and will remain, submissive to
political power."
Despite the turmoil and international concern, Sanha said on Thursday that "there is no problem".
"There was a situation of confusion," Sanha said in a statement broadcast on Portugal's Antena 1.
"There was a confusion between soldiers that reached the government, but the situation is calm.
"We are going to try to work on calming the situation and resolve the problem," he said.
Click here to read more »
PM and army chief held but president dismisses unrest as "confusion between soldiers".
Last Modified: 02 Apr 2010 02:39
Guinea-Bissau's president has said the situation in his country is "calm" after soldiers arrested the army chief and prime minister in an
apparent coup attempt.
Malam Bacai Sanha told public radio on Thursday that the army chief had been detained and the prime minister – who had earlier been
taken by soldiers - was at home, apparently under house arrest.
Sanha put the situation down to some "confusion between soldiers".
A military source said soldiers had escorted Carlos Gomes Jr, the prime minister, to his home after his arrest and soldiers were
controlling the streets in the area.
About 40 officers were also said to have been arrested.
Antonio Indjai, the newly-designated army chief, said on national radio that the show of force by mutinous solders was purely a military
problem and the army remained submissive to political power.
"The Guinea-Bissau armed forces would like to make the point that events which occurred this Thursday morning are a purely military
problem and do not concern the civil government.
"The army reiterates its attachment and its submission to political power. Military institutions remain, and will remain, submissive to
political power."
Despite the turmoil and international concern, Sanha said on Thursday that "there is no problem".
"There was a situation of confusion," Sanha said in a statement broadcast on Portugal's Antena 1.
"There was a confusion between soldiers that reached the government, but the situation is calm.
"We are going to try to work on calming the situation and resolve the problem," he said.
Click here to read more »
The Chairperson of the Commission appoints a Special Representative for Guinea Bissau
The Special Representative will also head the newly‐established AU Liaison Office in Guinea Bissau
Addis Ababa, 7 October 2010
The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping, has appointed Professor Sebastiao da Silva Isata, from
Angola, as his Special Representative for Guinea Bissau and Head of the AU Liaison Office in that country.
Professor Isata, who is 52, has been Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola from 1996 to 1999. In that capacity, he was involved in
a number of initiatives relating to Angola’s foreign policy and bilateral relations, as well as conflict resolution efforts, particularly in
Guinea Bissau. Professor Isata has also served as Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the MPLA – PT, from 1984 to 1988.
He holds a doctorate in Law from the Howard University, in the US, and has taught in several Universities, including the University of
Western Cape (Cape Town), South Africa.
This appointment is part of the follow‐up to the relevant provisions of the Tripoli Plan of Action of 31st August 2010 and decisions of
the AU Peace and Security Council. It should be recalled that, in the Tripoli Plan of Action, the Assembly, among others, stressed the
need to ensure the early deployment in Guinea Bissau, with the support of the United Nations, the European Union and other AU
partners, of a joint AU-ECOWAS stabilization mission to consolidate peace and stability and lend the necessary support to the
Government in security sector reform, post-conflict reconstruction and development and fight against drug trafficking. On its part, the
Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU, at its meeting held on 29 March 2010, called for the establishment of an AU Liaison Office
in Guinea Bissau, in anticipation of the subsequent deployment of the envisaged AU/ECOWAS joint civilian mission.
As Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in Guinea Bissau, Prof. Isata will
spearhead and coordinate the implementation of AU decisions relating to the situation in the country. In this respect, he will pay
particular attention to the efforts aimed at consolidating peace and stability in Guinea Bissau, including security sector reform, fight
against drug trafficking, good governance and post-conflict reconstruction and development in general.
Click here to read more »
The Special Representative will also head the newly‐established AU Liaison Office in Guinea Bissau
Addis Ababa, 7 October 2010
The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping, has appointed Professor Sebastiao da Silva Isata, from
Angola, as his Special Representative for Guinea Bissau and Head of the AU Liaison Office in that country.
Professor Isata, who is 52, has been Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola from 1996 to 1999. In that capacity, he was involved in
a number of initiatives relating to Angola’s foreign policy and bilateral relations, as well as conflict resolution efforts, particularly in
Guinea Bissau. Professor Isata has also served as Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the MPLA – PT, from 1984 to 1988.
He holds a doctorate in Law from the Howard University, in the US, and has taught in several Universities, including the University of
Western Cape (Cape Town), South Africa.
This appointment is part of the follow‐up to the relevant provisions of the Tripoli Plan of Action of 31st August 2010 and decisions of
the AU Peace and Security Council. It should be recalled that, in the Tripoli Plan of Action, the Assembly, among others, stressed the
need to ensure the early deployment in Guinea Bissau, with the support of the United Nations, the European Union and other AU
partners, of a joint AU-ECOWAS stabilization mission to consolidate peace and stability and lend the necessary support to the
Government in security sector reform, post-conflict reconstruction and development and fight against drug trafficking. On its part, the
Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU, at its meeting held on 29 March 2010, called for the establishment of an AU Liaison Office
in Guinea Bissau, in anticipation of the subsequent deployment of the envisaged AU/ECOWAS joint civilian mission.
As Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in Guinea Bissau, Prof. Isata will
spearhead and coordinate the implementation of AU decisions relating to the situation in the country. In this respect, he will pay
particular attention to the efforts aimed at consolidating peace and stability in Guinea Bissau, including security sector reform, fight
against drug trafficking, good governance and post-conflict reconstruction and development in general.
Click here to read more »
TRANSLATED FROM PORTUGUESE BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE
PRESS RELEASE
05 August 2010
With the political and military conflict from June 7, 1998 the country has emerged into a political crisis and unprecedented social
consequences commit no mistakes, the foundation that support the existence of our noble nation, because of the unpredictable and high
grade of insecurity that has developed after the crisis aforesaid.
While not difficult for even the least attentive to prove that the uncertainty constitutes a major problem for the smooth functioning of the
organs of sovereignty, moreover, statistics illustrate that since 1999 there have been three assassinations of heads-of-State Major, two
coups, assassination of the President of the Republic and several officers military and political leaders, in addition to the destabilizing
effects of the drug.
These facts completely disenfranchised by democratic institutions and the consequent assertion of state authority also surpasses all
values of structural rule of law and democratic principles.
Therefore the latest developments in the country have become pervasive and clairvoyant that Guinea-Bissau is a paradigm of fragile
states, and consequently, needs a stabilization mission, as they have been seen:
1. Welcome the initiative by the organs of sovereignty in order to support international community for the coming of a stabilization
mission, while factor of political stability, social and economic of the country;
2. Publicly reaffirm its commitment to the initiative and openness in total gross this process, moreover, as it has done with several other
topics of interest Public
3. Praising the courage and determination of the President in conducting this process, appealing to effect its implementation in respect
for order constitutional and in close collaboration with the forces of defense and security;
4. Appealing to the President of the Republic to promote an inclusive dialogue and Participatory all the forces tending to the nation's
demand for greater consensus around this issue;
5. Urge the other organs of sovereignty, political parties and civil society, restraint, perseverance and attitudes consistent with the grand
designs and interests of the nation;
6. Praising the efforts of the international community leading to the materialization this process;
7. Appealing to mobilize the people of Guinea around this issue as a factor essential for achieving peace and consolidating the rule of law;
Made in Bissau, the 5 day of August 2010
The National Directorate
Click here to read more>>
PRESS RELEASE
05 August 2010
With the political and military conflict from June 7, 1998 the country has emerged into a political crisis and unprecedented social
consequences commit no mistakes, the foundation that support the existence of our noble nation, because of the unpredictable and high
grade of insecurity that has developed after the crisis aforesaid.
While not difficult for even the least attentive to prove that the uncertainty constitutes a major problem for the smooth functioning of the
organs of sovereignty, moreover, statistics illustrate that since 1999 there have been three assassinations of heads-of-State Major, two
coups, assassination of the President of the Republic and several officers military and political leaders, in addition to the destabilizing
effects of the drug.
These facts completely disenfranchised by democratic institutions and the consequent assertion of state authority also surpasses all
values of structural rule of law and democratic principles.
Therefore the latest developments in the country have become pervasive and clairvoyant that Guinea-Bissau is a paradigm of fragile
states, and consequently, needs a stabilization mission, as they have been seen:
- Insubordination Permanent Defence Forces and security to political power legitimate;
- Constant subversion of the constitutional order and democratic;
- Assassinations of high political figures and military officers associated with the high degree impunity;
- Retreat from the international community because of systematic violations of human and international comprimisso.
1. Welcome the initiative by the organs of sovereignty in order to support international community for the coming of a stabilization
mission, while factor of political stability, social and economic of the country;
2. Publicly reaffirm its commitment to the initiative and openness in total gross this process, moreover, as it has done with several other
topics of interest Public
3. Praising the courage and determination of the President in conducting this process, appealing to effect its implementation in respect
for order constitutional and in close collaboration with the forces of defense and security;
4. Appealing to the President of the Republic to promote an inclusive dialogue and Participatory all the forces tending to the nation's
demand for greater consensus around this issue;
5. Urge the other organs of sovereignty, political parties and civil society, restraint, perseverance and attitudes consistent with the grand
designs and interests of the nation;
6. Praising the efforts of the international community leading to the materialization this process;
7. Appealing to mobilize the people of Guinea around this issue as a factor essential for achieving peace and consolidating the rule of law;
Made in Bissau, the 5 day of August 2010
The National Directorate
Click here to read more>>
| Click map for larger view |
| Click flag for Country Report |
Malam Bacai Sanha
President since 01 August 2009
President since 01 August 2009
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
Current situation: Guinea-Bissau is a source country for children trafficked primarily for forced begging and forced agricultural
labor to other West African countries
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for the second year in a row, Guinea-Bissau is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to combat
severe forms of trafficking in persons, as evidenced by the continued failure to pass an anti-trafficking law and inadequate efforts to
investigate or prosecute trafficking crimes or convict and punish trafficking offenders (2008)
labor to other West African countries
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for the second year in a row, Guinea-Bissau is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to combat
severe forms of trafficking in persons, as evidenced by the continued failure to pass an anti-trafficking law and inadequate efforts to
investigate or prosecute trafficking crimes or convict and punish trafficking offenders (2008)
