Guinea-Bissau’s political system has been hampered in recent years by power struggles between the presidency and the parliamentary majority. Conditions for civil liberties gradually improved as the country recovered from the aftermath of a military coup in 2012, though police continue to disrupt some demonstrations, and journalists face interference with their work. Corruption is a major problem that has been exacerbated by organized criminal activity, including drug trafficking.

• The authorities allowed a partial reopening of the National People’s Assembly building in March, four months after President Umaro Sissoco Embaló dissolved the body, but its operations remained restricted and the full legislature was not reconvened.
• In September, Domingos Simões Pereira of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde (PAIGC), the legislature’s president, attempted to convene its standing committee and address an ongoing crisis involving multiple suspensions of judges on the Supreme Court of Justice. In response, security forces again blocked access to the assembly building, and Embaló’s Movement for Democratic Alternation (Madem G15) declared that its own Adja Satú Camará Pinto had replaced Pereira as head of the assembly; the legitimacy of this move was not widely recognized.
• In November, President Embaló indefinitely postponed legislative elections that had been scheduled for later that month, arguing that the country was not logistically or financially prepared for the balloting. Separately, the terms of the National Elections Commission’s members had expired in 2022, further complicating any preparations for elections. A presidential election that was due in December was also postponed, and Embaló continued to rule without a functioning legislature or Supreme Court at year’s end.
• The government banned demonstrations between January and November. When opposition forces attempted to hold protests in May, at least 93 people were arrested, and some detainees reported experiencing torture in custody. Several strikes also took place during the year, with health and education workers protesting unpaid wages and calling for improved conditions of employment, among other demands.
• Over the course of the year, journalists were repeatedly obstructed or physically assaulted by police while attempting to cover protests or the activities of major political figures.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.