Guinea-Bissau’s military rulers have eased restrictions on one senior opposition figure who had been in hiding since last year’s coup, while placing another prominent opposition leader under house arrest, opposition officials said on Saturday, January 31.
The developments come more than two months after the military overthrew President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on November 26, just days after a disputed presidential election. Following the takeover, the junta suspended the electoral process and detained several senior political figures, prompting Embalo to flee the country.
Fernando Dias, Embalo’s main challenger in the election who had claimed victory, avoided arrest by seeking refuge at the Nigerian embassy in Bissau. On Saturday, his communications manager, Gabriel Ye, said most restrictions on Dias had been lifted.
“Dias is not under house arrest,” Ye told AFP. “The only limitations imposed by the military authorities are that he must not make public statements or engage in political activities.”
Ye also confirmed that Embalo’s former prime minister, Geraldo Martins, has been released.
However, Domingos Simoes Pereira, another leading opposition figure and longtime critic of Embalo, has now been placed under house arrest. Pereira was freed from prison on Friday evening after months in detention but was escorted to his residence on the outskirts of the capital, where supporters gathered to welcome him.
Army commander Jorgito Biague said Pereira was the only person still under restriction. “All those detained in connection with the coup have been released,” Biague told AFP on Saturday. “Domingos Simoes Pereira is under house arrest for economic crimes. His case is now with the judiciary, not the military high command.”
Pereira leads the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which led Guinea-Bissau to independence from Portugal in 1974. He was disqualified from the recent presidential election after submitting his application late and later threw his support behind Dias.
Guinea-Bissau has a long history of political instability, having experienced five coups and several attempted military takeovers since independence.
On Saturday, the Economic Community of West African States welcomed what it described as recent steps taken by Guinea-Bissau’s transitional authorities, saying they were aimed at creating a more inclusive political environment and facilitating a return to constitutional rule.
The regional bloc called for the full release of Pereira and urged guarantees of fundamental rights and freedoms, while appealing to all parties to work towards a peaceful transition and credible democratic elections.
