Guinea-Bissau's Government is open to dialogue and has vowed to clear up the recent expulsion of Lusa, RTP, and RDP news agencies
The Government of Guinea-Bissau has made a controversial decision to expel the delegations of Lusa agency, RTP Africa, and RDP Africa from the country. This move, announced without official justification, has been met with strong repudiation and concerns over press freedom and bilateral relations.
Portugal, the home country of these media outlets, has condemned the expulsion as "highly reprehensible and unjustifiable." The Portuguese government emphasises the importance of these media outlets for both countries and the wider Lusophone community.
The decision has caused immediate diplomatic tension. Portugal has summoned the Guinea-Bissau ambassador for explanations and warned that bilateral relations are at risk. However, Guinea-Bissau's government has so far declined to provide any official rationale for the expulsions despite calls for clarification.
The expelled entities have been given until August 19, 2025, to vacate the country. The Committee to Protect Journalists has highlighted that this act signals increased hostility towards independent media, particularly before Guinea-Bissau’s general elections in November.
The information directors of Lusa, RTP, and RDP have reacted to the decision, describing it as a deliberate attack on freedom of expression. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Pinto Pereira, has expressed regret that the communique did not mention the grounds for the decision.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in Lisbon has been summoned for explanations and clarifications with the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister of the presidential initiative government in Guinea-Bissau, Braima Camará, has stated that the current government is a government of dialogue, always based on dialogue, discipline, and rigor.
The Prime Minister has reiterated that there is no small state or large state and that Guinea-Bissau will always dialogue, defending the sovereignty of the country. The Government of Guinea-Bissau has postponed explanations about the expulsion of Portuguese social communication entities until Saturday.
The decision has generated reactions in both countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has indicated that the Guinean government will clarify what is happening in due time. The representatives of the expelled entities are expected to leave the country by Tuesday, and the suspension of broadcasts from these entities will start from this Friday.
The President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau is Umaro Sissoco Embaló. The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repudiated the expulsion, classifying it as highly censorship and unjustified. The meeting with the Ambassador is scheduled for Saturday.
This decision has raised serious concerns about media freedom and the future of bilateral relations between Guinea-Bissau and Portugal. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold in the coming days.
Read also:
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
- Tinubu's administration allegedly causing issues within every political party as Peter Obi's name surfaces - Obidient Movement asserts
