A recent meeting held in Belgium’s Brussels between European Council President António Costa, former Senegalese President Macky Sall and Umaro Sissoco Embaló has drawn sharp criticism from civil society organisations in Guinea-Bissau.
In a joint statement, groups including the Espaço de Concertação das Organizações da Sociedade Civil, the Frente Popular and Firkidja di Pubis warned that the meeting could be seen as a form of “political legitimisation” of leadership they associate with human rights concerns and a deepening democratic crisis.
Weighing in on the developments, legal expert and political analyst Fransual Dias says the backlash reflects broader unease within the country.
“This kind of engagement raises serious questions about the message being sent to the people of Guinea-Bissau,” he says. “There is a growing perception that international partners may be overlooking internal governance concerns, and that risks weakening public trust in both domestic institutions and external actors.”
Dias adds that while diplomatic engagement is important, it must be balanced with accountability and respect for democratic principles.
–ChannelAfrica–
