The Editor-in-Chief of Radio Capital FM in Guinea-Bissau, Sulai Moreira Seide, and Nelson António da Silva, a sound technician of the same station, were detained by police on August 30, 2026, during a constitutional referendum being held that day.
According to a statement published by the National Union of Journalists and Media Communication Technicians of Guinea-Bissau (SINJOTECS) on September 1, 2026, Nelson António da Silva was first detained after a disagreement with individuals at a polling station over a complaint about the annulment of a vote.
Following António da Silva’s detention, Sulai Moreira Seide, accompanied by Iancuba Dansó, the station’s Director of Information went to the Police Station (2.ª Esquadra) in Bissau, to inquire about their colleague’s detention. Sulai was subsequently detained by the police.
There are two accounts of why Seide was detained.
According to information attributed to the political movement Firkidja di Pubis, Seide was accused of being responsible for photographs circulating on social media that allegedly showed low voter turnout at polling stations during the referendum.
The images came from posts by Radio Capital on Facebook which Seide shared on his personal Facebook account. He was also accused of calling for a boycott of the referendum, following an article about the low turn of the elections titled: The transition begs for votes as boycott and abandonment drain the referendum of its substance, published by the News website Capital News.
The Ministry of Interior and Public Order, rejected the reports that the journalist had been arrested. It said the incident began during the vote-counting process after a disagreement between a journalist and the Returning Officer concerning the validity of a ballot considered null. The police were called to intervene, and the journalist was taken to the Police Station to give a statement. The Ministry also reportedly stated that identification badges belonging to another person were found in the journalist’s possession.
Both men remained in police custody for approximately seven hours before being released.
Though Sulai Moreira Seide and Nelson António da Silva were not formally charged with a criminal offence or brought before a prosecutor or court, their detention still raises concerns about the treatment of journalists and media workers during politically sensitive events.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) calls on the authorities to ensure that journalists and other media workers are able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, arbitrary detention or undue interference, particularly during elections and other politically sensitive events.
