Guinea-Bissau: Expulsion of Portuguese journalists and suspension of media outlets
Bissau, August 2025 – Guinea-Bissau has ordered the suspension of two major Portuguese media outlets and the expulsion of their correspondents, without providing immediate explanations. The decision affects the Lusa news agency and the public broadcaster RTP, whose programs are now suspended within the country.
According to an official note from the Ministry of Communication, seen by AFP, journalists from both outlets have been ordered to leave the country by Tuesday.
The expulsion comes just days before a scheduled visit by President Umaro Sissoco Embaló to Lisbon, where he was due to attend a ceremony marking the rotating presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). The president ultimately canceled the trip.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony independent since 1974, maintains close historical and linguistic ties with Lisbon, making the move particularly sensitive diplomatically.
The Portuguese government condemned the decision as “highly reprehensible and unjustifiable.” Lisbon summoned the Guinea-Bissau ambassador for explanations at a meeting scheduled for Saturday.
Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau’s Foreign Minister Carlos Pinto Pereira confirmed that the expulsion was a government decision. “We will provide the reasons for this decision at a press conference, likely tomorrow,” he said, adding, “We are aware of the Portuguese government’s reactions and will respond appropriately.”
This development is likely to further strain relations between Bissau and Lisbon at a time when Guinea-Bissau is seeking to assert its diplomatic autonomy.
