The government of Guinea-Bissau has unexpectedly ordered the suspension of the Portuguese news agency Lusa as well as Portugal’s public radio and television broadcasters from operating in the country. Representatives of these outlets have been instructed to leave before August 19.
No official explanation was provided by Bissau-Guinean authorities. In a joint statement, the Portuguese media organizations condemned the move as a “discriminatory and selective measure, representing a blatant attack on freedom of expression,” describing it as part of a policy to “silence journalists.”
In response, Portugal’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Bissau-Guinean ambassador in Lisbon for clarification, while President Umaro Sissoco Embaló postponed a scheduled visit to Portugal next Monday.
The decision comes amid a tense political climate ahead of the November 23 presidential elections, where President Embaló is seeking a second term amid criticism from human rights groups accusing his government of “authoritarianism and repression.”
