Guinea-Bissau: Civil society protest in Bissau April 28

Event

The Movement of Conscious and Dissatisfied Citizens has called for a march to take place in the capital Bissau on Saturday, April 28. Protesters are denouncing the extension of parliament’s tenure until November, as well as prolonged power outages. Participants are expected to gather at the Espaco Verde area and march to the headquarters of the Electricity and Water Company, via the National Assembly building. Violence cannot be ruled out.

Context

Guinea-Bissau has experienced a period of political uncertainty since August 2015, when President FIRST NAME Vaz dismissed Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, leader of the president's own African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). Vaz and his government have suffered increasing unpopularity over the past three years and various protests have been held in recent months in the capital.

On April 16, 2018, the president appointed a new Prime Minister, Aristides Gomes (the seventh since August 2015), who formed a consensus government on April 26 to organize upcoming parliamentary elections. They are currently due to be held on November 18, 2018.

On a separate note, the country frequently experiences electricity and water supply cuts.

Advice

Individuals are advised to monitor the situation and avoid all protests due to the possibility of violence.