Guinea-Bissau: Protest in Bissau November 8 /update 1

Event

The Movement of Conscious and Dissatisfied Citizens (MCCI), the country's main civil society group, plans to stage a protest along with two student organizations in the capital Bissau on Thursday, November 8, to denounce an ongoing teacher strike that has paralyzed the education sector. According to local sources, police forces were positioned throughout the capital on Thursday morning to prevent the protest from taking place. However, protesters have stated that the march would go ahead as planned; as such, clashes between protesters and security forces are possible.

Associated protests are possible in the coming weeks.

Context

The National Union of Teachers (Sinaprof), the National Democratic Union of Teachers (Sinderprof), and the Union for Higher Education launched a 30-day teacher strike on October 1. Teachers are demanding the payment of salary arrears, a new salary in line with a West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) scheme, the adoption of formalized career paths, and better working conditions.

Advice

Individuals in Guinea-Bissau, particularly the capital Bissau, are advised to monitor the situation, avoid all protests due to the risk of violence, and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.