For more than two months now the authorities in Guinea-Bissau have suspended, without explanation, the operations of Lusa News Agency, RTP África, and RDP África, and ordered their representatives to leave the country. This decision deprives citizens of access to essential sources of information and undermines press freedom ahead of the elections scheduled for November 2025.
On August 17, 2025, two days after the suspension was announced, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló refused to answer questions from the press, about the measure. Questioned at Bissau airport, he told them to “mind their own business” and threatened: “If you are from RTP, you will also be expelled.”
In Praia, capital town in Cabo Verde, he added that the suspension was “a problem between Guinea-Bissau and Portugal” and avoided any discussion on freedom of expression, inviting journalists to “go to Guinea-Bissau to see whether freedom of expression is banned.”
No official justification has been provided for the suspension. However, the measure has sparked strong reactions: the affected media outlets see it as an attack on journalism and democracy; Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described it as “highly reprehensible and unjustifiable”; and several press freedom organizations have denounced it as a serious threat to the rule of law and electoral transparency.
This decision violates the provisions of the Constitution of Guinea-Bissau, which guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and citizens’ right to access public information. These fundamental rights are enshrined in constitutional articles recognizing the right to freely express and disseminate one’s ideas and opinions, as well as the role of the press as a pillar of democracy.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) reiterates its call on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to lift this suspension and ensure the resumption of the affected media outlets’ activities, in accordance with the Constitution and the country’s international commitments to freedom of expression and press freedom.
