When Portuguese public broadcasters RTP and RDP, and the news agency Lusa, were suddenly blocked in Guinea-Bissau on August 15, one of the first to feel the effects was Indira Correia Balde.

"It started when our colleague Fatima Tchuma Camara, a Guinean working for RDP, was denied access to the presidential palace. Later, I was excluded from covering government matters for RTP Africa. Broadcasts by RTP and RDP were repeatedly blocked," the head of Guinea-Bissau's journalists' union, SINJOTECS, told DW.

She said the expulsions were "anti-democratic" and described an atmosphere of growing fear since President Umaro Sissoco Embalo came to power in 2020.

Balde said journalists are being "systematically obstructed in their work, publicly insulted, and prevented from doing their jobs" and called for an "immediate reversal of this decision and to protect jobs."

International condemnation

Several international organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Newsroom (ENR), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have strongly criticized the expulsions.

Sadibou Marong, RSF's West Africa director, told DW the government's shutdown of the media networks closure was a "severe blow to press freedom." 

"To this day they have given no official explanation. All indications point to an arbitrary measure. RSF urges the government to immediately lift the suspension," Marong said. 

Asked whether independent reporting during the election campaign was at risk, Marong said: "This shutdown, imposed three months before the elections, suggests the authorities intend to restrict and influence coverage."

Marong pointed to attacks in recent attacks on journalists, citing an armed attack in 2022 on the private station Capital FM, and multiple reporters being arrested and intimidated during demonstrations.

"We fear the remaining journalists will come under increasing pressure and will no longer be able to report freely and independently," he said.

Government silence – opposition voices alarm

DW repeatedly sought comment from Foreign Minister Carlos Pinto Pereira and Prime Minister Braima Camara, but both declined to respond.

Opposition figures, though, have spoken out. Former prime minister Baciro Dja, said: "We strongly condemn this irresponsible act by the government. These media outlets provide an essential service, connecting our diaspora with the country."

Dja, a member of the Patriotic Alliance Inclusive – Cabaz Garandi (API-CG), added: "Every democrat condemns this decision. It could be an attempt to create the conditions for manipulating the elections."

Domingos Simoes Pereira, leader of the largest opposition party PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) and president of the dissolved National Assembly, expressed similar concerns: "We have long warned our partners about the erosion of democracy and civil rights in Guinea-Bissau. The country is dangerously close to the threshold of dictatorship. The pressure on the press is a clear sign of this."

Portugal opts for diplomacy

The Portuguese government has so far reacted cautiously, stressing its intention to resolve the conflict through diplomatic channels. For Lisbon, ties with the Portuguese-speaking world are a matter of state policy. Public criticism has so far been muted — which has frustrated press freedom advocates, who fear such restraint could encourage further repression.

Guinea-Bissau is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), currently holding its rotating presidency. As a member, it is committed to upholding principles such as press freedom, pluralism, and media access — and expelling Portuguese media appears to directly contradict these obligations.

Unstable outlook before November's elections

"The already fragile media landscape in Guinea-Bissau is being further weakened by incidents like these," says Indira Correia Balde.

Parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for November 23, 2025, under close international scrutiny. According to the constitution, the vote should have been held last year. President Embalo's mandate has officially expired. On December 4, 2023, after days of violent unrest, he dissolved parliament — calling it a "coup attempt" — and has since ruled by decree, without parliamentary oversight. Embalo has announced plans to run again in November.

The political climate remains tense. Embalo's statements and ongoing clashes with the opposition have raised doubts about whether the country is moving toward stability — or whether new turmoil lies ahead.

Edited by: Cai Nebe