# Guinea-Bissau - United States Department of State

- Guinea-Bissau HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Guinea-Bissau				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Guinea Bissau																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																											Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Guinea-Bissau during the year.Significant human rights issues included credible reports of:  torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; serious government corruption; extensive gender-based violence, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child, early, and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation/cutting; and trafficking in persons, including forced labor.The government did not take credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings, during the year.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibited such practices, but the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Guinea-Bissau Human Rights League (GBHRL) reported at least 25 persons were subjected to torture or arbitrary physical abuse while detained, with two of these cases resulting in serious injuries that required hospitalization.  According to the GBHRL, none of the individuals responsible for these acts was punished.While there were mechanisms in place to investigate and prosecute reports of human rights abuses, the GBHRL alleged the public prosecutor’s office permitted a culture of impunity to exist in the country, including in the security forces and national police.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						Prison conditions varied widely but were generally poor due to shortages of food and potable water, gross overcrowding, and inadequate sanitary conditions.Abusive Physical Conditions:  The GBHRL reported many detention centers in the country were severely overcrowded and had insufficient ventilation, little lighting, and clogged septic tanks.  Prisoners lacked potable or running water and access to medical treatment.  Nutrition was meager; at the pretrial detention center in Bissau, detainees relied on their families for food.  In August, three detention centers reportedly stopped serving meals to inmates for one week due to a strike by the centers’ food supplier.  Prisoners were reported to rely on delivery of food from family members and charity organizations.  The GBHRL called for the closure of a facility run by the Judicial Police’s Second Squadron, alleging it was in a state of “total ruin.”Administration:  There was no prison ombudsperson to respond to prisoners’ complaints or independent authorities to investigate credible allegations of inhuman conditions.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted independent monitoring of detention conditions by local and international human rights groups.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention, and the government observed these prohibitions.  Detainees could challenge the lawfulness of detention before a court through an appeals process and obtain prompt release as well as compensation if found to have been unlawfully detained.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						The law required arrest warrants, although warrantless arrests occurred, particularly of immigrants suspected of crimes.  By law detainees were required to be brought before a magistrate within 48 hours of arrest and released if no indictment was filed, but this standard was not always met.  Authorities were obligated to inform detainees of charges against them, but they did not always do so.  The law provided for the right to counsel at state expense for indigent clients; lawyers did not receive compensation for part-time public defense work and often ignored state directives to represent indigent clients.  There was a functioning bail system.  Pretrial detainees had prompt access to family members.  Authorities often held civilian suspects under house arrest.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provided for an independent judiciary, but the government did not respect judicial independence and the judiciary was subject to political manipulation.  Observers reported that judges were inadequately trained, irregularly paid, and subject to corruption.  A lack of resources and infrastructure often delayed trials, and convictions were rare.  Authorities generally respected court orders.																Trial Procedures						The law provided for the right to a fair and public trial, but the judiciary did not always enforce this right.  The court system did not often provide fair trials, and corrupt judges sometimes worked in concert with police.  Cases were sometimes delayed without explanation.  Defendants generally had adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense, but most cases never came to trial.On September 21, the GBHRL called for the persons detained following an armed February 2022 attack on the government’s administrative center in Bissau to be conditionally released pending trial, stating the suspects had been held in detention without a fair public trial for more than a year.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										Not applicable.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibited such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provided for freedom of speech, including for members of the press and other media, and NGOs and media watchdogs reported that the government generally respected this right.Violence and Harassment:  On December 4, members of the military occupied radio and television stations in Bissau for approximately 48 hours.  Although the government claimed the move was in response to a potential coup attempt, journalists alleged it was done to intimidate them and prevent the reporting of news regarding political events.Censorship or Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media:  On August 15, newly installed Secretary of State for Social Communication Muniro Conté ordered the reopening of private radio station Capital FM, closed by government order since October 2022 on the grounds the station had failed to pay a mandatory broadcasting license fee.  The station contended it had been targeted for censorship and closure because it provided a platform to government critics.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provided for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The constitution and law provided for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government, through the National Coordinator for the Assistance of Refugees and Displaced Persons (CNRD), cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and provided protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern.Access to Asylum:  The law provided for granting of asylum or refugee status.  UNHCR closed its office in the country in early 2022, so the CNRD was responsible for issuing and renewing refugee cards as well as providing all refugee assistance.  The CNRD had limited capacity to identify asylum seekers and individuals in need of protection, or to conduct refugee status determination for asylum seekers.Durable Solutions:  The country continued to host thousands of persons who migrated from Senegal’s Casamance region in recent decades.  Many of them maintained ethnic and family ties in both countries and traveled frequently across the often-unmarked international border, rendering the nationality and status of many individuals in the area unclear.  Following a years-long naturalization campaign, UNHCR reported fewer than 100 unassimilated refugees lived in the country.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The law provided citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections:  National elections, last conducted in June’s parliamentary polling, were widely reported to be fair and free of abuses and irregularities.  Some opposition parties, however, claimed government-backed security personnel prevented them from campaigning freely and traveling to meet with supporters in the period prior to elections.Political Parties and Political Participation:  Parties were at times restricted in their ability to operate freely.  On May 5, the residence of Fransual Dias, a political analyst and member of the opposition Social Renewal Party, was attacked by unknown assailants and his vehicle set on fire.  Dias claimed in media the attack was politically motivated to intimidate him by persons aligned with the president.  No one was injured in the attack, according to media reports.  On December 6, armed forces occupied the headquarters of an opposition party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, expelled gathered members, and blocked re-entry into the building.Participation of Women and Members of Marginalized or Vulnerable Groups:  Although women occupied some senior roles in the government, observers believed views regarding traditional gender roles in some parts of the country, particularly in rural areas, limited women’s political participation.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties of one month to 10 years in prison for acts of corruption by officials.  In most cases the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials in all branches and on all levels of government engaged in corrupt and nontransparent practices with impunity.  There were numerous reports of government corruption.Corruption:  While mechanisms were in place to investigate and prosecute reports of corruption, the GBHRL alleged the government permitted a culture of impunity to exist, with occasional exceptions.  On December 1, Finance Minister Suleimane Seidi was removed from his post and taken into custody for allegedly using public funds to pay the debts of politically well-connected private companies.  Seidi remained in custody awaiting trial at year’s end.  Media sources and NGOs alleged that members of the military and civilian administration trafficked in narcotics and assisted international drug cartels by providing access to the country and its transportation infrastructure.  Antonio Indjai, the former head of the armed forces, continued to circulate freely in the country.  A fugitive still subject to a 2012 UN travel ban for his involvement in a successful 2012 coup d’état, Indjai reportedly retained influence within the military.For additional information about corruption in the country, please see the Department of State’s Investment Climate Statement for the country, and the Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which includes information on financial crimes.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						Several domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings.  Government officials were somewhat cooperative and responsive to the views of these groups.Government Human Rights Bodies:  The National Commission on Human Rights, a government human rights organization, was independent but observers regarded it as ineffective.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence:  The law prohibited rape of women and men, including spousal rape, and provided penalties for conviction of two to 12 years in prison; however, the government did not always effectively enforce the law.  The law permitted prosecution of rape only when reported by the survivor, which observers noted was rare due to survivors’ fear of social stigma and retribution.Although the law prohibited domestic violence, such abuse was thought to be widespread, based on media reports of specific cases of domestic violence as well as input from civil society organizations working to combat domestic violence.  The government did not undertake specific measures to counter social pressure against reporting domestic violence, rape, incest, and other mistreatment of women.Cases of domestic violence and child abuse were commonly resolved within the household.  Limited access to institutions of justice also contributed to the preference for customary law as a way of solving societal problems.  Recourse to the formal justice system was poorly understood, expensive, and seldom used.Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C):  The law prohibited FGM/C for girls and women of all ages, and the practice was punishable by a fine and five years in prison.  The government did not enforce the law effectively.  A 2021 study by UNICEF found that approximately 52 percent of local women between ages 15 and 49 were survivors of FGM/C and that FGM/C was practiced most often on girls younger than age five.  The NGO 28 Too Many estimated that, in some parts of the country, the figure was as high as 95 percent.Other Forms of Gender-based Violence and Harassment:  No law prohibited sexual harassment, and it was believed to be widespread.  The government undertook no initiatives to combat the problem.Discrimination:  The constitution prohibited discrimination based on sex.  The constitution also stated that men and women were equal before the law in all aspects of political, economic, social, and cultural life.  Gender discrimination, however, was common due to societal norms based on traditional customs and rules of ethnic groups and religious communities that perpetuated inequalities.  The law recognized equal rights for men and women to access land, yet it also recognized customary law that favored men in acquiring land ownership rights.Women faced considerable pay gaps and were less likely to be hired than men.  There were legal restrictions to women’s working hours and employment in occupations and tasks deemed dangerous, jobs in the mining industry, and other work popularly considered inappropriate for women, including construction and heavy industry.  The labor law did not set forth penalties for gender discrimination.Reproductive Rights:  There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reported that approximately 100 health centers offered family planning services but that the availability of birth control services offered varied from center to center.  Certain religious groups discouraged use of modern contraception.According to the UNFPA, the availability of maternal health care in rural areas was severely lacking, resulting in high rates of maternal mortality.  The health system’s capacity for obstetric care was insufficient, and emergency care was available only in Bissau.Two NGOs provided emergency contraception kits to public health clinics that offered services to survivors of sexual assault; however, an overall lack of resources within the public health sector limited treatment options.  Observers reported that postexposure prophylaxis was sometimes available within the public health sector as well as private clinics, but supply shortages meant it was not always dispensed in the clinical management of rape.According to UN estimates, the maternal mortality rate was 725 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, and the lifetime risk of maternal death was one in 160.  Moreover, only 54 percent of births were attended to by a medical professional.  Major factors causing high maternal mortality were poor health infrastructure and service delivery, as well as high rates of adolescent pregnancy due to the prevalence of child marriage.  Some girls were not able to attend school due to pregnancy or inadequate access to menstruation hygiene products.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The constitution and law provided for protection of members of racial or ethnic minorities or groups against violence and discrimination, and the government enforced the law effectively.																																				Children										Birth Registration:  Birth registration did not occur automatically at hospitals; parents were required to register births with a notary.  UNICEF estimated that only one quarter of births were officially registered.  A lack of access to official birth registration could have significant discriminatory effects against children from vulnerable families, complicating the process for obtaining government benefits, health care, and educational enrollment.  The government worked together with the United Nations to establish one-stop access centers for citizens to obtain birth registration and other identity documents.Child Abuse:  There were no specific laws regarding child abuse.  Violence against children was seldom reported to authorities.  The country had no state shelters for child survivors of violence.  A regulatory framework was in place to allow for alternative housing arrangements for child survivors of violence, including privately funded shelters, orphanages, and host family habitation.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage:  The legal minimum age of marriage was 16 for all individuals, but the government did not enforce the law effectively.  Child, early, and forced marriage occurred among all ethnic groups.  Girls who fled arranged marriages often were subsequently exploited in sex trafficking.  The buying and selling of child brides also occurred.  There were no government efforts to mitigate these problems.  According to UNICEF, 6 percent of all girls were married by age 15, and 24 percent by age 18.  The Association of Friends of Children, a domestic NGO that advocated for the rights of children, stated that from January to August it rescued approximately 30 girls who were survivors of forced marriage.Sexual Exploitation of Children:  The minimum age for consensual sex was 18.  The law carried a penalty for conviction of statutory rape of two to 12 years in prison.  The law also prohibited child pornography, and authorities enforced the law.  The law criminalized commercial sexual exploitation of children, including for sex trafficking, and prescribed penalties of three to 15 years’ imprisonment and the confiscation of any proceeds from the crime.  When pedophilia and sexual harassment were reported, police at times blamed survivors.																																				Antisemitism										There was a small Jewish community in the country, and no known reports of antisemitic incidents.																																				Trafficking in Persons										See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization:  No laws criminalized consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults or so-called cross-dressing.  No apparently neutral laws, such as laws on immorality or loitering, were disproportionally applied to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons.Violence and Harassment:  Civil society activists reported limited instances of acts of violence against LGBTQI+ persons, adding that violence against LGBTQI+ persons was not widespread nor supported by the government or society.Discrimination:  The law did not prohibit discrimination by state or nonstate actors based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics.  LGBTQI+ community members did not report legal barriers to housing, health care, or education, but reported that LGBTQI+ identity was seen as socially unacceptable in culturally conservative regions and could result in denial of employment or housing; there were no reports of state action in those cases.  LGBTQI+ persons reportedly faced discrimination in hiring.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition:  Legal gender recognition was not available.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices:  Involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices were not reported to be widespread, nor were they encouraged or supported by the government.  There were no known reports of children or intersex persons being subjected to forced surgeries.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly:  There were no restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, or peaceful assembly for LGBTQI+ persons.																																				Persons with Disabilities										Persons with disabilities could not access education, health service, public buildings, and transportation on an equal basis with others.  The law did not specifically prohibit discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities.  The government did not counter discrimination against persons with disabilities or provide access for them to buildings, information, and communications.  The government did not provide communication and information on disability concerns in accessible formats.There was discrimination against persons with disabilities in hiring and workplace access.  Children with disabilities attended school with peers without disabilities.  Provisions existed to allow voters with disabilities and illiterate voters to participate in the electoral process, but voters with proven severe intellectual disabilities could be prohibited from voting.																																				Other Societal Violence or Discrimination										According to the GBHRL, approximately a dozen persons were killed in rural areas after being accused of witchcraft.  The victims included elderly individuals who were killed by those believing their long life was attributable to witchcraft.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provided the freedom to form and join independent unions without prior authorization.  The law excluded the military and police and did not fully cover other public-sector officials, agricultural workers, dock workers, or workers in the informal economy.The law provided for the right to strike, but workers were required to give 72-hour prior notice.  The law also prohibited retaliation against strikers and did not exclude any group of workers from relevant legal protections.  Many sectors of the economy were on strike at some time during the year, typically because of low salaries or nonpayment of salaries.  Workers in the education, health, and public sectors went on strike during the year.The law allowed unions to conduct their activities without government interference.  Laws on unions provided protection only for trade union delegates, while the constitution provided for workers’ rights to free speech and assembly.  The law prohibited employer discrimination against official trade union representatives.  The law required reinstatement of workers terminated for union activity.  The law did not apply to domestic workers.Authorities generally respected freedom of association in the formal sector.  Worker organizations were not independent of government and political parties, employers, or employer associations, which sometimes sought to influence union decisions and actions.Penalties were not commensurate with those for other laws involving denials of civil rights.  In 2021, the International Labor Organization observed that statutory penalties for antiunion activity were insufficient to deter such activities.  Penalties were rarely applied against violators.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										See the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report at:   https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings&nbsp;.																																				d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws:  The Council of Ministers annually established minimum wage rates for different categories of public sector workers but continued to rely on a wage establishment mechanism that the International Labor Organization stated was outdated.  The minimum wage rates were above the official estimate for the poverty income level.  There was no minimum wage for private sector workers.  The law provided for a maximum 45-hour workweek and provisions for overtime pay.Occupational Safety and Health:  In cooperation with unions, the ministries of justice and labor established the country’s first legal occupational safety and health (OSH) standards for workers in 2021, but they did not have the force of law or regulation because the National Assembly did not adopt them by year’s end.  The standards were up-to-date and appropriate for the main industries.  Workers did not have the right to remove themselves from unsafe working conditions without jeopardizing their employment.  Many individuals working in the construction industry reportedly worked in conditions that violated OSH standards.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement:  The Labor Ministry inspector general was responsible for enforcing the law but did not do so effectively.  The number of labor inspectors was insufficient to detect and deter violations, and they lacked authority to carry out unannounced inspections and initiate sanctions.  Penalties, which usually took the form of minimal fines that had not been adjusted for inflation, were not commensurate with those for similar crimes.  Many persons worked under conditions that endangered their health and safety.  Penalties were sometimes applied against violators.  Wage and OSH regulations were not enforced in the informal sector, which accounted for approximately 80 percent of workers.																																				    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bhutan											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Central African Republic											Chad											Chile											China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet)											Colombia											Comoros											Costa Rica											Côte d&#8217;Ivoire											Croatia											Cuba											Cyprus											Czech Republic											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France											Gabon											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iran											Iraq											Ireland											Israel, West Bank and Gaza											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kiribati											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyz Republic											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Liechtenstein											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Monaco											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nauru											Nepal											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Korea											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Russia											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											San Marino											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Slovakia											Slovenia											Solomon Islands											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Syria											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											The Gambia											The Netherlands											Timor-Leste											Togo											The Bahamas											Tonga											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey (Türkiye)											Turkmenistan											Tuvalu											Uganda											Ukraine											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vanuatu											Venezuela											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																				f. Transnational Repression																																																						g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																						h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption in Government																Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																						Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Guinea-Bissau
- Digital Press Briefing on Power of Democracy and the Future of Peacekeeping in Africa After the AU Financing Security Council Resolution U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-GreenfieldDownload or listen to the audio file here .MODERATOR:  Good afternoon and welcome to everyone from the London International Media Hub, teaming up today with our colleagues from the Africa Regional Media Hub.  I’d like to welcome our participants who are logging in from across the African continent and globally to thank all of you for joining this discussion.  Today, we’re very pleased to be joined by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.We’ll begin today’s call with opening remarks from Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and then we’ll turn to your questions.  We’ll try to get to as many of them as possible during the briefing.As a reminder, today’s call is on the record.  And with that, I will turn it over to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Thank you very much, Margaret, and thank you all for joining us here today.  As you know, I just returned from an incredibly productive, incredibly meaningful trip to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau.  And I&#8217;d be remiss not to note that my stop in Guinea Bissau, a country I had never visited before, means that I’ve been to all but three countries on the continent of Africa.  So that’s not too shabby. Over the past week, I covered a lot of territory – literally and figuratively.  But there were a few core themes that wove through the entire trip.The first is democracy. Anchoring this trip was the inauguration of President Joseph Boakai in Liberia – marking the country’s successful second peaceful, democratic transition of power since the end of the civil war in 2003.  And I was really honored to lead the President’s delegation for this remarkable celebration of democracy as the former U.S. ambassador to Liberia.But it’s important to note that my visit to West Africa took place amidst a backdrop of democratic backsliding in the region.And so during my time in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau, I met with heads of government, I met with opposition leaders, members of civil society, and people representing the next generation of leaders to emphasize how civilian-led democracies deliver for people – and underscore the importance of preserving and expanding them. That was the message of my keynote address at the Liberia Chamber of Commerce on election night: that democracy is a tie that binds our two nations together.  And that both in America and in Liberia, democracy is an unfinished project – a choice we all must make not just on election day or inauguration day, but every single day.While in Liberia, I visited the historic Providence Baptist Church, where Liberia’s declaration of independence was signed in 1847 – and that continues to be a symbol of liberty and hope for Liberia.I met with leaders, including outgoing President George Weah, to commend him on his commitment to the peaceful transfer of power – and the new president, President Joseph Boakai, to discuss the importance of combatting corruption, promoting accountability, and remaining a pillar of democracy in a region roiled by threats to it.Democracy was also the topic of conversations in my meetings with Guinea Bissauan President Embalo, Sierra Leonean President Bio, and Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, who was also in Liberia to celebrate the inauguration.And democracy was the basis for the announcement I made in Freetown a few days ago: that the United States is committing $1.5 million to support Sierra Leone’s electoral reform processes.This funding will help provide the technical and legal assistance needed to strengthen democracy in Sierra Leone – as well as fuel civilian engagement to increase everyday people’s awareness, buy-in, and ownership.Another key theme of my trip was peace and security – which are, of course, linked with democracy.This was a focus of all of my conversations with heads of state – including my sit-down with the president of Sierra Leone, whose country joined the Security Council during a particularly turbulent moment in the region – and my meeting with the Ghanaian president, whose country played a critical role in helping pass a UN financing resolution for AU peace operations.The international community has a responsibility to empower AU missions to respond to Africa’s growing security challenges.The financing resolution, which the UN unanimously adopted at the end of last year, is a major steppingstone to that end – putting African leaders at the forefront, and African people at the center.In addition to discussing peace and security with presidents, I visited the Sierra Leone Peace Museum, which honors the victims of the country&#8217;s decade-long conflict and works to promote lasting peace.  This visit was incredibly timely, and it was remarkably heart-wrenching to see the important efforts that were being made to ensure that people never forget what happened during that war.  But it was also timely as it immediately preceded my participation in a national dialogue discussion with the Government of Sierra Leone, opposition leaders, and members of the international community working to implement Sierra Leone’s agreement for national unity.I also visited Tombo Fishing Village, where I learned more about the community’s challenges with illegal fishing, as well as U.S. interventions to address climate, health, food – and food security.And finally, I had the opportunity to meet with Liberian soldiers who served as international peacekeepers as part of the UN’s mission in Mali. This is one of those full-circle moments for me.  I visited Liberia in 2005, near the height of the UN peacekeeping mission following the civil war.  To come back not even two decades later, and see Liberians contributing troops – it’s a testament to the resilience and the dedication of the Liberian people. Which brings me to the last theme of the trip, which was investing in the future of Africa – namely, women and young people.In Sierra Leone, I got to meet with an incredible group of young women leaders at Fourah Bay College, where we discussed the transformative role women play in government, business, and more.And while in Liberia, I had the opportunity to engage with alumni of the President’s Young Professionals Program and U.S. exchange programs – as well as students from my favorite school in the world. And I know that’s a lofty statement: favorite school in the world. But while I love my alma maters, LSU and the University of Wisconsin, these students attend The Linda Thomas-Greenfield Preparatory School.So: Democracy. Peace and security. Investing in women and young people.I could talk about these three priorities – and more importantly, the African people realizing them on the ground – forever.  But I want to get to your questions, and I know you want to get to them too.So let me end by just saying that this is a region that is near and dear to my heart.  I first went to Liberia and Sierra Leone in the late 1970s.  And since then, progress in the region has hardly been a straight line. But this visit, this homecoming, nearly five decades after I first touched down in Monrovia, affirmed that there are so many reasons to be hopeful about the years to come.So with that, I’d be happy to take a few questions.  So over to you, Margaret.  MODERATOR:  Thank you, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.  We’ll now begin the question-and-answer portion of today’s briefing.  We have a full briefing today.  And so as a courtesy to your fellow journalists, I’d ask that you limit yourself to one question related to the topic of today’s briefing, which is: the Power of Democracy and the Future of Peacekeeping in Africa After the AU Financing Security Council Resolution.So for our first question, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, would you please elaborate on what the AU financing resolution means for peace and security in Africa?AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Oh, thank you so much for that question.  I am so proud of the fact that we were able to get the AU financing resolution passed.  This is something that I have personally been working on for over a decade when I served as the assistant secretary for Africa.  And so to accomplish that during my presidency – or my period at the Security Council was extremely meaningful.  And I want to take the opportunity to thank Ghana for leading the effort to move that resolution forward and get a unanimous adoption of the resolution in the Security Council.So you asked what the resolution means.  This resolution underscores the primary – the primacy of politics and the need for coherent political strategy that will guide any peacekeeping operations.  But it also gives support to the African Union, to African leadership of peacekeeping operations.  The resolution emphasizes that operations must include appropriate safeguards to protect civilians, and this was a key accomplishment of the resolution.  It provides for the UN to pay 75 percent of peacekeeping operations for AU missions, and that was something that was truly important, and we will work with the African Union and peacekeeping countries to get the rest of the funding.  But it really is a reflection of African leadership for African solutions.MODERATOR:  Fantastic.  Thank you for elaborating.Our first question from a journalist is Ms. – from Ms. Christina Okello of Radio France Internationale.  And the question is:  “Sierra Leone is joining the Security Council at a time of turmoil following a failed coup implicating the former president in a trial the opposition says is politically motivated.  What’s your assessment of the state of democracy in Sierra Leone?”AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Democracy, as I said in my opening remarks, is not a – it’s not a straight-line process.  It is a process that is always a few steps forward and a few steps back, but we see that it is the one mode of government that provides for the people.  And Sierra Leone has made tremendous progress in moving in that direction.  I met with their commission, the national unity agreement and the commission that was set up for that, and the commission is working very deliberately to develop a process that will allow for free and fair elections that are supported by all parties.  We condemn the attempted coup that took place in Sierra Leone, and we want to work with the government to help establish a path forward, and we express our support to President Bio for his call for national unity, and his efforts to urge Sierra Leone to work together to build a unified country in the national interests of all.So we will continue to support that effort.  As I noted, we gave $1.5 million to that effort that will help the commission continue to implement their recommendations moving forward.MODERATOR:  Excellent.  And what does the recent UNSC Resolution 2719 mean for African peacekeeping missions?AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Well, it means that these missions are going to get the support of the United Nations.  They’re going to get capacity that they may not have.  They are going to – their leadership is going to be boosted in this process.  We’ve seen a number of countries on the continent of Africa who have raised concerns about UN peacekeeping missions.  We saw that happen, unfortunately, in Mali.  We’ve seen it happen as well in Sudan.  So to have African leadership in these missions I think will help to build confidence in peacekeeping, and particularly as it relates to protection of civilians.MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question is from Mr. Moses Kollie Garzeawu of BBC World Service, Liberia.  The question is:  “What example has Liberia set for the entire region with a smooth democratic transition?  And how committed is the U.S. to helping Liberia survive from what the president said is under stress?”AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Liberia was and continues to be under stress.  We saw Liberia go through a 14-year civil war that ended in 2003.  They have had since that time successive transitions of power and successful elections.  The first president, President Sirleaf, served for two terms; President Weah – an opposition candidate was elected, and he graciously accepted the results of a free and fair election and allowed for a smooth transition.  And that is truly an example for not just West Africa, but the entire continent of Africa.  And we really should commend Liberians for that success.The United States is committed to Liberia.  We have – we’re a country that has close historical ties that go back to Liberia’s creation, and we have been a close ally and partner to Liberia throughout.  Liberia has been very supportive and worked closely with us here at the United Nations, and we’re committed to helping President Boakai succeed.As you know, I served as ambassador in Liberia for four years during the Sirleaf administration, and we committed millions of U.S. dollars to supporting Liberia’s development.  We will continue to do that.  Since 2017, we’ve given them close to $800 million; we’ve worked to build their military.  So our commitment to Liberia is ironclad.MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question is from Mr. Mouctar Balde of Guinéenews.  He asks:  “You have very vast experience in African affairs, and you know very well the recent history of civil wars, unrest, coup – and coup in the region.  In Guinea, for instance, I have doubts that the current regime is going to transfer power to a democratic elected president.  As you know, civil wars, unrest, and crises start when the military is not playing by the rules.  What strategy can you think of in conflict prevention, or any kind of long-term unrest?”AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Thank you for that question.  And it is a tough question, because it is something that we have all been grappling with for many, many years.  And we’ve had some – many successes, and Liberia is clearly one of those successes, and we’ve had failures, and Guinea is one of those right now.We are working to build capacity in countries like Guinea to give support to civil society, to give support to ordinary people so that they can vote and hopefully hold their leaders accountable.  But we’re also working with leadership to encourage them, to push them, to urge them, and sometimes nudge them in the right direction.  And that’s the case across the continent of Africa, and as I said, we have a lot of successes, but we have a lot of work to do to continue to push that effort.  We know that democracy delivers to people, and we know that in order for democracy to deliver, countries have to have strong leadership.  Corruption has to be addressed upfront.  That’s the message that I delivered in – very strongly in Liberia, and it’s the message that we’re delivering across the continent of Africa.  MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question is for Mr. Aggrey Mutambo, the National Media Group in Kenya:  “I would like to see a comment from the U.S. Government concerning the war in Sudan.  We are hearing reports that Iran may have supplied certain drones and other weapons to the Sudan armed forces to aid their fight against Rapid Support Forces.  Does the U.S. have concerns about this and the potential for Iran becoming a bigger threat in the Horn of Africa, and what efforts are being put in place to de-escalate the situation? AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Look, we’re concerned about any support for these two generals to continue this war against the people of Sudan, and we’ve made that clear across the board.  What the two generals need to do is put down their arms and go back to the negotiating table and find a solution.  There will be no military solution to this war.  We’re seeing thousands of people die on both sides.  We’ve seen 6 million people be forced from their homes.  I visited Chad last year, went to the border, talked to refugees who were fleeing.  Chad is hosting over a million refugees, many of them from the first war that happened that led to the designation of a genocide.  So to see this happening again is unconscionable.  And so it is incumbent that those who are assisting these two generals to fight this war against the people of Sudan cease those efforts, and the generals go and negotiate a final deal with civilians at the table with them.  MODERATOR:  Okay.  Our next question is – we’re going to take a turn up to North Africa, Ms. Aya Sayed of Roayah News Network in Egypt.  The question is:  “There are growing concerns that UN peacekeeping operations are increasingly becoming unwelcome in parts of Africa, as countries such as Mali and the DRC requested the withdrawal of UN missions.  Do you expect that African nations would welcome AU-led peacekeeping missions?”AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Yeah, we’re very concerned with the – the lack of support for UN peacekeeping missions.  These missions have been important to contributing to peace and security, to protection of civilians across the continent of Africa.  So what happened in the case of Mali and what is currently happening in DRC is really unfortunate.  But I do think, as you noted, that AU peacekeeping missions might be able to fill in the gap.  And that’s why it was so important that we get the AU financing resolution passed so that we are able to provide direct financing to these missions, provide capacity, provide training so that Africans, as I said earlier, can lead in this process.  MODERATOR:  Okay, we’re coming – we are coming up on time, but I want to give Carol Van Dam Falk of Voice of America an opportunity to ask her question live.  Carol, over to you.  Carol, you’re on mute.  Can you speak again?AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Hi, Carol.  MODERATOR:  Well, I am not able to hear Carol, so I’m going to go ahead and proceed to the next pre-submitted question.  And that is – let’s see – Mr. Mohamed K. Fofanah of the Gleaner Newspaper in Sierra Leone:  “Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, you announced that the United States plans to invest 1.5 million to support Sierra Leone’s electoral reform process.  After the announcement, an unconfirmed report has it that the U.S. is pushing for a rerun of the June 24th elections.  Do you have any comment?” AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  I’m not aware of that, but what I am aware of is that the $1.5 million will assist Sierra Leone in developing their own plans for how they will conduct elections in the future.  But there are no – as far as I know, there are no plans for an election, and certainly we have not called for that. MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  So we are at time.  Do you have any final thoughts that you would like to share with the group before we wrap?  AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Well, let me just say to you that the press in Africa plays an extraordinarily important role in making sure that democracy functions.  You are a key component, you’re a key tool of democracy on the continent of Africa.  I had a number of press engagements when I was on this trip.  I met with your colleague from Front Page Africa and did an interview on radio with him.  I did a press conference in Sierra Leone as well.  And again, I think your role in keeping the public informed, keeping the world informed, and also holding accountable leaders across the continent and holding me and others accountable for what we’re doing is so important.  So I just want to end with a thank you to all of you for what you do, and I look forward to continuing to engage with you in the future.  MODERATOR:  Thank you, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.  That concludes today’s briefing.  I want to thank all of our participating journalists.  A reminder that this briefing has been on the record.  And if you have any questions about today’s briefing, you may contact the London International Media Hub at LondonHub@state.gov.  We will be circulating a transcript to all registered participants.  Thank you.AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD:  Thank you.# # #
- Guinea-Bissau National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, I send congratulations to the people of Guinea-Bissau as you celebrate 50 years of independence.We take this special occasion to reaffirm the close friendship between the United States and Guinea-Bissau as we pursue our shared goals of promoting peace and security, strengthening democracy, and growing economic prosperity.We send the people of Guinea-Bissau our best wishes on this joyous Independence Day.
- Guinea-Bissau HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2023 Fiscal Transparency Report&#8230;Guinea-Bissau				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Fiscal Transparency Report: Guinea-Bissau																																					Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																																																																																																				 In this section																																												Government-by-Government Assessments: Guinea-Bissau																																												Government-by-Government Assessments: Guinea-Bissau				During the review period, the government made significant progress by making information on debt obligations, including major state-owned enterprise debt, publicly available within a reasonable period.However, it did not make all budget documents publicly available within a reasonable period. The government maintained off-budget accounts not subject to audit or oversight. Budget documents provided a substantially full picture, including major sources of revenue and expenditure. Projected revenues and expenditures reasonably corresponded to those in the enacted budget. The government made public its military and intelligence budgets. The supreme audit institution did not meet international standards of independence and did not audit the entire annual executed budget, although the audits it did produce contained substantive findings. The government specified in law or regulation, but it was unclear whether it followed in practice the criteria and procedures for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was not publicly available.Guinea-Bissau’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:Making budget documents widely and easily accessible to the public;Subjecting off-budget accounts to adequate audit and oversight;Ensuring the supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence and publishes audit reports of the government’s executed budget;Following natural resource extraction laws and regulations in practice; andMaking basic information on natural resource extraction contracts publicly available.																												    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Algeria											Angola											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Benin											Burma											Burundi											Cambodia											Cameroon											Central African Republic											Chad											China, People’s Republic of											Comoros											Congo, Democratic Republic of											Congo, Republic of the											Djibouti											Egypt											Equatorial Guinea											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Gabon											The Gambia											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Iraq											Laos											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Madagascar											Malawi											Mali											Maldives											Mauritania											Mongolia											Mozambique											Niger											Oman											Pakistan											Palestinian Authority											Papua New Guinea											Rwanda											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Sierra Leone											Somalia											South Africa											South Sudan											Sudan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Turkmenistan											Ukraine											Uzbekistan											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe																										On This Page				search													>																										Government-by-Government Assessments: Guinea-Bissau																	Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Division for International Finance and Development																								Guinea-Bissau
- Guinea-Bissau HomeReportsOffice to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons2023 Trafficking in Persons Report&#8230;Guinea-Bissau				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Trafficking in Persons Report: Guinea-Bissau																																					Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons																																																																																																				 In this section										/																							GUINNEA-BISSAU (Tier 3)																																													GUINNEA-BISSAU (Tier 3)																															PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:																																																																																		PROSECUTION																																																																																		PROTECTION																																																																																		PREVENTION																																																																																		TRAFFICKING PROFILE:																																																																																																								GUINNEA-BISSAU (Tier 3)				The Government of Guinea-Bissau does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Guinea-Bissau remained on Tier 3. Despite the lack of significant efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including implementing NRM procedures to refer child trafficking victims to civil society organizations for care, providing anti-trafficking training to border officials, and conducting a public awareness-raising radio campaign. However, the government did not prosecute any alleged traffickers for the fourth consecutive year, and it has never convicted a trafficker under its anti-trafficking law. Victim identification and services remained inadequate. The inter-ministerial committee did not conduct any anti-trafficking activities. The government continued to lack resources and political will to comprehensively combat human trafficking.																																					PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:						    																																															Increase efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers, including corrupt Quranic teachers who exploit boys in forced begging and complicit officials, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.Cease using extra-judicial or administrative remedies to resolve human trafficking cases.Finalize and implement standard procedures to systematically identify trafficking victims, including among vulnerable populations such as children exploited in forced begging, child laborers, domestic workers, individuals in commercial sex, and Cuban overseas workers.Train the national guard, judicial police, and local police on identifying trafficking crimes and procedures for referring cases to the judicial police for criminal investigation.Provide resources to the judicial police to expand its area of operation, including in Bijagos.Fully implement the NRM by training law enforcement, judicial officials, social workers, and civil society on the procedures to refer all identified trafficking victims to care.Allocate financial or in-kind resources for the anti-trafficking inter-ministerial committee, convene regular meetings, and strengthen its authority to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts across government agencies.In collaboration with civil society, increase the quantity and quality of services available to all trafficking victims, including adults.Strengthen cooperation with the Government of Senegal to repatriate and reintegrate trafficking victims, especially child forced begging victims, and investigate trafficking networks.Develop and finalize a NAP to combat trafficking and allocate resources to its implementation.Significantly increase efforts to raise public awareness of human trafficking, especially forced begging and child sex trafficking.																																												PROSECUTION						    																																															The government maintained minimal law enforcement efforts. Public Law 12/2011 criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties of three to 15 years’ imprisonment and the confiscation of any proceeds from the crime. These penalties were sufficiently stringent and, with regard to sex trafficking, commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape.The government reported investigating three child labor trafficking cases, compared with investigating an unknown number of potential trafficking cases involving 92 potential forced begging victims during the previous reporting period. Law enforcement referred all three cases for prosecution. While the government did not report any prosecutions for the fourth consecutive year, it did initiate preliminary procedures to prosecute two alleged traffickers. The government has never convicted a trafficker under the anti-trafficking law. The president directed law enforcement authorities to hold perpetrators of child forced begging accountable. Despite the prevalence of Bissau-Guinean boys exploited in Senegal and other neighboring countries for forced begging, the government did not cooperate with foreign counterparts on law enforcement investigations. The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials complicit in human trafficking crimes; however, official corruption and complicity in trafficking crimes remained concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action during the year. The judicial system lacked sufficient personnel and resources to function effectively, and corruption remained pervasive. Observers alleged government officials interfered in investigations and derailed prosecutions of politically-connected traffickers in exchange for bribes. The government did not demonstrate high-level political will to address human trafficking.The judicial police had a specialized unit to investigate trafficking cases; however, it had limited coverage outside the capital and did not have a dedicated budget. The national guard patrolled Guinea-Bissau’s borders and had a unit dedicated to investigating crimes involving women and children, including trafficking; however, it did not have a dedicated budget. The national guard and local police in rural areas lacked training to investigate human trafficking crimes and did not consistently refer potential trafficking cases to the judicial police for investigation. The national guard trained some border officials on identifying human trafficking cases, compared with no trainings held during the previous three years. Some law enforcement and judicial officials remained unaware of the 2011 anti-trafficking law. Police and judges often settled trafficking cases through informal resolution mechanisms rather than the formal justice system.																																												PROTECTION						    																																															The government decreased already insufficient protection efforts. The government reported identifying and referring to services at least 57 forced child labor victims, compared with identifying and referring 92 child forced begging victims and 33 potential child trafficking victims during the previous reporting period. The national guard reported intercepting 300 children at the border, which it believed included some trafficking victims. The government did not have formal procedures to identify trafficking victims but continued implementing its NRM and referred vulnerable children, including potential trafficking victims, to NGOs for care. High illiteracy rates, including among security services, hampered the government’s ability to finalize and implement written victim identification procedures; draft victim identification procedures, compiled in previous reporting periods with the assistance of an international organization, remained unfinished. One NGO reported the government referred 135 children to its shelter, including victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, child labor, forced marriage, and migrants, which may have included potential trafficking victims. An international organization repatriated 164 Bissau-Guinean boys exploited in begging in Senegal without government support. Protection actors reported some families returned their children to traffickers after they were removed from situations of forced begging and repatriated.The National Institute for Women and Children (IMC) under the Ministry of Family Affairs was responsible for victim services and coordination of services among various entities; however, it lacked sufficient funding and resources. The government relied on international organizations and local NGOs to provide nearly all victim services, including reintegration support, shelter, medical services, and legal assistance; these NGOs subsequently relied on international donors for funding. The government did not provide financial or in-kind support to NGOs assisting trafficking victims for the fourth consecutive year. Three NGO shelters were accessible to child trafficking victims but were severely overcrowded and underfunded; one shelter provided specific services to trafficking victims. Children typically received short-term housing, followed by reintegration support. Adult trafficking victims could access NGO-operated shelters for vulnerable individuals, but neither the government nor civil society reported identifying or referring any adult victims to care. Foreign national victims had access to the same services as Bissau-Guinean victims. The government reported Bissau-Guinean and Senegalese border officials routinely cooperated to repatriate Bissau-Guinean child trafficking victims intercepted at the border, but it did not report the number of children repatriated.The government did not have victim-witness assistance procedures to support victim participation in the criminal justice process. Victims could not obtain restitution or file civil suits against their traffickers. The government did not provide legal alternatives to the removal of foreign victims to countries where they may face hardship or retribution. Due to a lack of formal identification procedures, authorities may have detained some unidentified trafficking victims.																																												PREVENTION						    																																															The government decreased efforts to prevent trafficking. The inter-ministerial committee, led by the IMC and including government agencies, NGOs, and religious groups, did not meet during the reporting period, compared with convening regular meetings during the previous reporting period. The committee lacked funding for anti-trafficking activities, which weakened its effectiveness and ability to coordinate national anti-trafficking efforts. The government did not have an active NAP to address human trafficking. The national guard, in collaboration with a foreign donor, conducted four national radio presentations to raise public awareness of human trafficking; this compared with no public awareness campaigns held during the previous two years. The government operated a hotline for crime victims, including human trafficking; NGOs reported officials referred an unknown number of trafficking victims for care as a result of hotline calls.The labor inspectorate, housed within the Ministry of Labor, Civil Service and Public Administration, lacked funding, resources, and training to investigate labor trafficking cases nationwide. The government did not inspect any local daaras (Quranic schools) for indicators of forced begging. Amendments to the labor code that would extend labor protections to domestic workers remained pending in the national assembly since 2015. The government did not prohibit worker-paid recruitment fees, which increased labor migrants’ vulnerability to trafficking. The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, such as through public awareness campaigns. The IMC and the Ministry of Tourism had a code of conduct against sexual exploitation in the tourism sector in the Bijagos islands, Bubaque, Sao Domingos, and Bissau. The code included provisions for raising public awareness of child sex trafficking and increasing awareness of hotel workers and tourism labor inspectors to combat these crimes; however, the government did not report conducting any implementation activities. The government did not provide anti-trafficking training to its diplomatic personnel.																																												TRAFFICKING PROFILE:						    																																															As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Guinea-Bissau, and traffickers exploit victims from Guinea-Bissau abroad. Child forced begging is the most prevalent form of human trafficking. Some corrupt Quranic teachers exploit their students in forced begging and do not provide an education. The traffickers are principally men from the Bafata and Gabu regions – often former students or men who claim to be working for a Quranic teacher – and are generally well-known within the communities in which they operate. Corrupt Quranic teachers exploit Guinea-Bissau’s weak institutions and porous borders to transport large numbers of Bissau-Guinean boys to Senegal – and to a lesser extent Mali, Guinea, and The Gambia – for forced begging in exploitative daaras. Corrupt Quranic teachers also force Bissau-Guinean, Guinean, Gambian, and Sierra Leonean boys to beg in Bissau. In some cases, due to lack of economic alternatives, families willingly send their children to Senegal knowing they will be forced to beg. Officials report the free movement of ECOWAS citizens makes it easier for traffickers to cross West African borders. According to an international organization, Guinea-Bissau’s birth registration rate is less than 25 percent, increasing vulnerability to trafficking, especially among children.Traffickers exploit Bissau-Guinean boys in forced labor in street vending and in the agricultural and mining sectors in Senegal, especially around the southern cities of Kolda and Ziguinchor. Traffickers force West African boys to harvest cashews during Guinea-Bissau’s annual harvest, and some boys recruited for work in the harvest are then forced to beg. Children placed in apprenticeships by their families in fishing, construction, and mechanical shops are vulnerable to labor trafficking. Traffickers exploit Bissau-Guinean girls in sex trafficking and forced labor in street vending and domestic work in Guinea, The Gambia, and Senegal. Senegalese trafficking networks recruit Bissau-Guinean girls for modeling jobs or traveling football clubs and exploit them in sex trafficking. Traffickers fraudulently recruit and exploit Bissau-Guinean women in domestic servitude in Guinea-Bissau and abroad. Traffickers exploit Bissau-Guinean girls in domestic servitude and in sex trafficking in bars, nightclubs, and hotels in Bissau. Women in commercial sex and children in the Bijagos, an archipelago largely devoid of government and law enforcement presence, are vulnerable to sex trafficking. Cuban nationals working in Guinea-Bissau may have been forced to work by the Cuban government.																																				    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Albania											Algeria											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Aruba											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											The Bahamas											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bhutan											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Central African Republic											Chad											Chile											China											Colombia											Comoros											Costa Rica											Cote d&#8217;Ivoire											Croatia											Cuba											Curaçao											Cyprus											Czech Republic											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France											Gabon											The Gambia											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Guatemala											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hong Kong											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iran											Iraq											Ireland											Israel, West Bank and Gaza											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyzstan											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Macau											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia, Federated States of											Moldova											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nepal											Netherlands											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Korea											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Russia											Rwanda											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Sint Maarten											Slovakia											Slovenia											Solomon Islands											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Syria											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											Timor-Leste											Togo											Tonga											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey											Turkmenistan											Uganda											Ukraine											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											United States											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vanuatu											Venezuela											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe																										On This Page				search													>																										GUINNEA-BISSAU (Tier 3)																PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:																																																	PROSECUTION																																																	PROTECTION																																																	PREVENTION																																																	TRAFFICKING PROFILE:																																																							Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Guinea-Bissau																																Human Trafficking																															Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
- Guinea-Bissau HomeReportsOffice of International Religious Freedom2022 Report on International Religious Freedom&#8230;Guinea-Bissau				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Guinea-Bissau																																					Office of International Religious Freedom																																																																																							Download Report																																																																																	 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															Section I. Religious Demography																																																																																		Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																																									Legal Framework																																																																											Government Practices																																																																																	Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																																																		Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The constitution establishes the separation of religion and state and the responsibility of the state to respect and protect legally recognized religious groups. It states that all citizens are equal under the law, with the same rights and obligations irrespective of their religion, and it recognizes the freedom of religious groups to teach their faith.In January, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo attended a consecration ceremony for the new Bishop of Bissau, Jose Lampra Ca, along with other senior members of the government. President Sissoco and other government officials also attended a separate ceremony to install the new president of the Imam’s Union. In July, vandalism at a Catholic church in a majority-Muslim town created tension between Catholics and Muslims. Catholics criticized President Sissoco for reportedly downplaying the incident. The government continued its policy of not providing free food to Muslims during Ramadan. The government also temporarily cut tax exemptions for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and religious groups as part of an overall review of tax and customs exemptions. The government attempted to restrict the transmission of a church’s radio broadcast that other religious communities had accused of promoting division and intolerance.Religious leaders in the country agreed that different ethnic and religious groups were mostly respectful and tolerant of one another throughout the country. Representatives from Islamic, Catholic, and Evangelical communities gathered for an inaugural two-day conference and produced a common agenda of religious leaders for the promotion of peace and prevention of radicalism and violent extremism in the country. The agenda included provisions to create a platform for dialogue and to institutionalize an annual day of inter-religious reflection to promote peace. During the year, nine individuals died from violence in cases related to witchcraft, compared with six such deaths in 2021. Several churches and mosques utilized radio to more widely broadcast both religious and nonreligious content.There is no permanent U.S. diplomatic presence in the country. The United States directs its engagement in the country from the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. In March and in November, a visiting official from the U.S. Liaison Office to Guinea-Bissau at the Embassy in Dakar met separately with Muslim and Christian religious leaders in Bissau to discuss issues of tolerance and coexistence and their concern regarding the spread of religious extremism.																														Section I.													 Religious Demography												    																																															The U.S. government estimates the total population at 2.0 million (midyear 2022).  Estimates of the religious composition of the population vary widely, but according to the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project (2020), approximately 46 percent are Muslim, 31 percent follow indigenous religious practices, and 19 percent are Christian.  Groups that together constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and those unaffiliated with any religious group.The Fula (Peuhl or Fulani) and Mandinka (Malinke) ethnic groups are the most numerous followers of Islam.  Muslims generally live in the north and northeast, and most Muslims are Sunni; Shia communities exist as well.  Adherents of indigenous religious beliefs generally live in all but the northern parts of the country.  The Christian population, including Roman Catholics and Protestants, is primarily drawn from the Pepel, Manjaco, and Balanta ethnic groups and is concentrated in Bissau and along the coast.  Catholics represent more than half of the Christian population, while Brazilian Protestant and other Protestant denominations maintain a significant number of congregations and missions throughout the country.  Large numbers of Muslims and Christians hold indigenous beliefs as well.																																					Section II.													 Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																																Legal Framework										The constitution stipulates the state shall be separate from religious institutions and shall respect and protect legally recognized religious groups, whose activities shall be subject to the law. It holds freedom of conscience and religion as inviolable, even if the state declares a state of siege, and provides for freedom of worship so long as it does not violate the fundamental principles cited in the constitution. It establishes that all citizens are equal under the law, with the same rights and obligations, irrespective of their religion. Political parties and labor unions are barred from affiliating with a particular religious group. The constitution recognizes the freedom of religious groups to teach their faith.The government requires religious groups to obtain licenses. The formal process, which is not often followed, entails providing the name, location, type, and size of the organization to the Ministry of Justice. Under the law, religious groups are recognized as associations. The state temporarily suspended tax exemptions for NGOs and religious bodies for importing goods and products. In accordance with the constitution, religious instruction is not permitted in public schools. The Ministry of Education enforces this prohibition. There are some private schools operated by religious groups. Private schools must meet government-approved curriculum standards and receive Ministry of Education validation in order to grant nationally recognized diplomas or completion certificates. The government-approved curriculum standards require a broader base of conventional subjects, such as science and the Portuguese language, rather than a more limited curriculum of Arabic and Quranic studies, as offered in some Islamic schools.The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.																																				Government Practices										In January, President Sissoco attended a consecration ceremony for the new Bishop of Bissau, Jose Lampra Ca, along with other senior members of the government. The Catholic community issued a special invitation to a senior delegation from the Islamic community to attend the ceremony as well. At this event, the president of the National Islamic Council (CNI) called on the new bishop to continue to work together to strengthen interreligious relations in the country. President Sissoco and other government officials also attended a separate ceremony to install the new president of the Imam’s Union.Also in January, a Catholic priest stated he received death threats after posting critical comments about President Sissoco on social media. The priest’s comments were in response to Sissoco’s remarks that Bishop Lampra Ca had meddled in politics following a recent meeting between the bishop and Prime Minister Nuno Nabiam, during which the bishop expressed his conviction that the country belonged to all its citizens. The President responded that religious leaders belonged in their places of worship and never in politics. The priest’s social media message demanded respect for the bishop and defended the bishop’s right to comment on issues affecting the public. On January 6, the Bissau-Guinean League of Human Rights issued a statement condemning those issuing threats and urging the authorities to investigate.Following an armed attack on President Sissoco and other government officials in a coup attempt in early February at the government palace, senior religious leaders encouraged each other to work within their communities to encourage peace and stability in the country. They launched a campaign of dialogue with government, military, and other religious leaders to help overcome the incident and to create a calmer and more peaceful environment in the country.During the year, the government continued a 2021 policy of no longer donating rice and sugar to the Muslim community during Ramadan. The government also ended its attempts to acquire donations from other sources, including foreign governments, to support travelers to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage.In July, some media sources criticized President Sissoco for downplaying the significance of the vandalism of a Catholic church in Gabu that destroyed a crucifix and religious images important to the Catholic community. Sissoco compared the damage to incidents of stolen nonreligious items from mosques, such as clocks, fans, and air conditioners.In September, the government issued an order to temporarily suspend tax exemptions for NGOs and religious bodies on imported goods and products. The Ministry of Finance clarified that the decision was part of the process to survey and balance customs and tax exemptions for all organizations. As of year’s end, the suspension remained in effect.The Ministry of Commerce directed an independent Pentecostal church, the Igreja Assembleia De Deus, to limit the transmission of its radio programming to within 60 kilometers (36 miles) of its broadcast station. The church asked the government to reconsider. Igreja Assembleia reported it did not know why the government ordered the restriction. Other religious leaders, however, had previously reported that Igreja Assembleia promoted division, intolerance, and disrespect toward other religions. Igreja Assembleia’s leader responded that there was no intent to attack any other religious groups, but that the church’s interpretation of the Bible differs from that of others. The leader also stated that the church had been criticized for its opposition to forced marriages and its efforts to assist victims of forced marriages. At year’s end, the church was still broadcasting beyond the 60-kilometer limit ordered by the government, and there were no repercussions reported for the church’s failure to comply.In December, as part of a visit to the Diocesan Major Seminary, Prime Minister Nabiam invited all Bissau-Guineans to work for peace in the country. The Prime Minister spoke to journalists at the seminary, identifying it as a place that had welcomed and housed members of the government following the February attack on government officials at the Government Palace.																																					Section III.													 Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																															Religious leaders in Bissau agreed that different ethnic and religious groups were mostly respectful and tolerant of one another throughout the country.  A Catholic leader described the country as a laboratory of pacific coexistence between religions, with a tendency toward mutual respect.  The leader said that the country was probably the best example in the region of religious coexistence.Leaders from different religious groups spoke positively of past efforts to meet with each other to address matters of concern.  Financial constraints, however, limited the ability of groups to meet with each other over the past year.  In January, a senior imam visited a Catholic congregation in Portugal at the invitation of a Portuguese Catholic leader who had previously met with the National Council of Imams at a mosque in Guinea-Bissau.  According to the imam, the Portuguese leader expressed his admiration for the country’s inter-religious relations and its tradition of respect among religions.During the year, EU funding ended for a project to address violence resulting from allegations of witchcraft.  The project implementer, the NGO Human Rights League of Guinea-Bissau (HRL), reported that through early November, nine individuals died from violence in cases related to witchcraft, compared with six deaths in 2021.In another case, a dispute between two neighbors resulted in one neighbor shooting the other, reportedly due to an allegation of witchcraft.  HRL stated that similar cases typically arose due to ignorance and misunderstandings.  HRL created a task force to prevent such violence.In December, representatives from Islamic, Catholic, and Evangelical religious communities gathered for an inaugural two-day conference in Bissau as part of the No Cudji Paz project, funded by the European Union and Camoes – Institute of Cooperation and Language.  At the conclusion of the conference, the group released a common agenda for the promotion of peace and prevention of radicalism and violent extremism in the country.  The agenda included provisions to create a platform for inter-religious dialogue and to institutionalize an annual day of inter-religious reflection to promote peace and dialogue.Some religious leaders reported that the spread of religious extremism was due to the country’s porous borders and endemic poverty.  One religious leader identified some mosques as operating with funds from outside the country and trying to attract members with gifts or food.  The leader identified Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran, as well as two Islamic organizations headquartered in Senegal, as potential funding sources.Another religious leader expressed concern over how easy it is for religious extremists to hide in the country, all the while quietly indoctrinating others to adopt more extreme religious views.An incident of vandalism in July at the recently rebuilt Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church in Gabu created tension between religious communities.  Vandals smashed a crucifix and destroyed religious images important to the Catholic community.  One NGO reported the vandalism was the first such incident in the country’s history.  Witnesses could not identify the perpetrators, and leaders from all religious groups denounced the incident.  A Catholic leader noted the response of some Islamic students from the Gabu region who spoke out against the vandalism in the spirit of friendship and alliance.Several churches and mosques utilized radio to broadcast more widely both religious and nonreligious content.  The Imam’s Union of Guinea-Bissau continued to broadcast a radio program aimed at both Muslim and non-Muslim religious leaders every Friday afternoon.  The Imam’s Union indicated that more than 70 percent of the weekly broadcast addressed social issues, and that the program included a question-and-answer period in which listeners could send chat messages, with questions and comments.  The program, which reportedly extended to over 95 percent of the country, allowed imams to address topics of interest or concern.  The union indicated that the ability to provide information rapidly and receive messages from listeners through this format helped to identify and address issues of importance, such as the potential spread of religious extremism.																																					Section IV.													 U.S. Government Policy and Engagement												    																																															There is no permanent U.S. diplomatic presence in the country.  The United States directs its engagement with the country from the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.  In March and November, a member of the Guinea-Bissau Liaison Office of the Embassy in Dakar met with Islamic, Catholic, and evangelical leaders in Bissau, renewing prior discussions related to issues of tolerance and coexistence.  Locally employed staff based in Bissau and three American personnel based at the Embassy in Dakar maintained contact with multiple religious leaders, staff, and adherents throughout the year.																																				    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											Bahamas, The											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bhutan											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Central African Republic											Chad											Chile											China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet, and Xinjiang)											Colombia											Comoros											Costa Rica											Cote d’Ivoire											Croatia											Cuba											Cyprus											Czech Republic											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France											Gabon											Gambia, The											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guyana											Guinea-Bissau											Haiti											Honduras											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iran											Iraq											Ireland											Israel, West Bank and Gaza											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kiribati											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyzstan											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Liechtenstein											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Monaco											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nauru											Nepal											Netherlands											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Korea											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Russia											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											San Marino											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Slovakia											Slovenia											Solomon Islands											Somalia											South Africa											South Sudan											South Korea											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Syria											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											Timor-Leste											Togo											Tonga											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey (Türkiye)											Turkmenistan											Tuvalu											Uganda											Ukraine											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vanuatu											Venezuela											Vietnam											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										Executive Summary																Section I. Religious Demography																																																	Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																							Legal Framework																																																						Government Practices																																																			Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																	Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																							Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Guinea-Bissau																								Office of International Religious Freedom																																Religious Freedom
- Guinea-Bissau HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Guinea-Bissau				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Guinea-Bissau																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																								Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																																																																																		f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																																																		Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																																																		Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				Guinea-Bissau is a multiparty republic. Presidential elections held in November 2019 resulted in two finalists: Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Domingos Simoes Pereira. Sissoco assumed the presidency in February 2020, following elections that the international community judged largely free and fair. Sissoco’s inauguration caused controversy because it occurred before the Supreme Court had ruled on a legal protest filed by the opposition. On May 16, Sissoco dissolved the government and announced that national legislative elections would be held on December 18. Ruling and opposition party leaders later agreed to delay the elections, tentatively scheduled for June 2023.National police forces maintain internal security. The Judicial Police, under the Ministry of Justice, has primary responsibility for investigating drug trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes. The Public Order Police, under the Ministry of Interior, is responsible for maintenance of law and order. Other police forces include the State Information Service (intelligence), Border Police (migration and border enforcement), Rapid Intervention Police, and Maritime Police. The armed forces have some internal security responsibilities and may be called upon to assist police in emergencies. Civilian authorities at times did not maintain control over the security forces. There were reports that members of the security forces committed some abuses.On February 1, armed assailants attacked the central government administrative center and took President Sissoco and some members of his cabinet hostage for several hours. Eleven persons were killed during the attack, and while some alleged perpetrators were reportedly incarcerated and awaiting trial, the attackers’ motive remained unknown.Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence against journalists; serious government corruption; lack of investigation of and accountability for gender-based violence; and trafficking in persons.The government had mechanisms to investigate and punish officials who committed human rights abuses or engaged in corruption, but impunity remained a problem.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibit such practices, but the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Guinea-Bissau Human Rights League (GBHRL) reported at least 10 individuals were subjected to torture or arbitrary physical abuse while detained.  On February 26, government forces reportedly raided a conference of the opposition African Party for the Independence of Guinea Cape Verde (PAIGC), beating several attendees and causing physical damage to the building (see section 3).The GBHRL criticized the public prosecutor’s office for failing to prosecute public officials accused of participation in violent attacks against media and civil society.  While there were mechanisms in place to investigate and prosecute reports of human rights abuses and corruption, the GBHRL alleged the public prosecutor’s office permitted a culture of impunity to exist in the country.  There were no reports of government action such as training to increase respect for human rights by the security forces.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						Prison conditions varied widely but were generally poor.  In the makeshift detention facilities for pretrial detainees, conditions were crowded and unsanitary.Abusive Physical Conditions:  Conditions were poor.  Except in the prisons in Bafata and Mansoa, electricity, potable water, and space were inadequate.  Pretrial detention facilities generally lacked secure cells, running water, adequate heating, ventilation, lighting, and sanitation.  Detainees’ diets were meager, and medical care was virtually nonexistent.  At the pretrial detention center in Bissau, detainees relied on their families for food.  Officials held pretrial detainees with convicted prisoners and juveniles with adults.  There were no reported deaths in detention centers, but the GBHRL stated it was aware of approximately two dozen cases of detainees becoming ill due to unsanitary conditions in detention centers.Administration:  There was no prison ombudsperson to respond to prisoners’ complaints or independent authorities to investigate credible allegations of inhuman conditions.  In 2018, the National Commission for Human Rights recommended the closure of four pretrial detention centers (Cacine, Catio, Bigene, and Bissora) due to inhuman conditions, but they remained in use during the year.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted independent monitoring of detention conditions by local and international human rights groups.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, but the government did not always observe these prohibitions.  Detainees may challenge the lawfulness of detention before a court through an appeals process and obtain prompt release as well as compensation if found to have been unlawfully detained.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						The law requires arrest warrants, although warrantless arrests occurred, particularly of immigrants suspected of crimes.  By law detainees must be brought before a magistrate within 48 hours of arrest and released if no indictment is filed, but this standard was not always met.  Authorities were obligated to inform detainees of charges against them, but they did not always do so.  The law provides for the right to counsel at state expense for indigent clients; lawyers did not receive compensation for their part-time public defense work and often ignored state directives to represent indigent clients.  There was a functioning bail system.  Pretrial detainees had prompt access to family members.  Authorities usually held civilian suspects under house arrest.Arbitrary Arrest:  Following the February 1 attack on the government administrative center in Bissau, media and the GBHRL reported that individuals were detained without charge for extended periods.  The GBHRL estimated that 30 individuals were still being held without charge at a military base in Bissau as of year’s end.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, but the judiciary was subject to political manipulation.  Judges were inadequately trained, irregularly paid, and subject to corruption.  A lack of resources and infrastructure often delayed trials, and convictions were rare.  Authorities respected court orders, however.																Trial Procedures						The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial, but the independent judiciary did not always enforce this right.  The court system did not often provide fair trials, and corrupt judges sometimes worked in concert with police.  Cases were sometimes delayed without explanation, and occasionally fines were directly taken out of defendants’ bank accounts without their knowledge.  Defendants generally had adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense; however, most cases never came to trial.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.						Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies						Individuals may seek civil remedies for human rights abuses; however, there was no specific administrative mechanism to address human rights abuses.																										f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibit such actions but, following the February 1 attack on the government administrative center, some civil society activists and NGO representatives reported having their homes invaded at night by individuals dressed in police or military uniforms. The individuals targeted in the raids suspected their homes had been raided and ransacked as a means of intimidation. On November 29, a lawyer representing defendants accused of participation in the February 1 attack was reportedly beaten by masked assailants who forcibly entered his home. The perpetrators of the crime were not apprehended or identified, but the targeted individual claimed the attack was related to his participation in the case.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech, including for members of the press and other media; however, the government did not always respect this right.  Media watchdogs reported multiple acts of intimidation against media, including state-owned media outlets.Violence and Harassment:  The government took insufficient steps to preserve the safety and independence of media or to prosecute individuals who threatened journalists.  Intimidation and harassment of journalist and media outlets remained a problem during the year.On February 7, unidentified armed assailants attacked the Capital FM radio station in Bissau, one of the country’s most prominent radio outlets.  Seven individuals, including three journalists, were reportedly injured.  Individuals present at the scene said the assailants were wearing military uniforms and used military-grade weapons.  The assailants reportedly fired live rounds into the façade of the home of one of the journalists and also lobbed tear gas containers into his yard.On April 12, the government issued a decree threatening privately owned radio stations with closure, fines, and even incarceration if the stations failed to pay an annual licensing fee of CFA francs 230,000 ($380).  Local private radio stations viewed the fee as excessive, since they struggled to bring in sufficient revenue to cover salaries and operational expenses.  A journalist association alleged the government sought to use imposition of the fee as a means to close private radio stations.Censorship or Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media:  In December, the government announced annual licensing fees would be mandatory for all media outlets to operate in the country.  Journalists and media advocacy organizations denounced the fees as exorbitant and as an attempt by the government to close independent media outlets.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored online communications without appropriate legal authority.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provide for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The constitution and law provide for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government, through the National Coordinator for the Assistance of Refugees and Displaced Persons (CNRD), cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and provided protection and assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, and other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law provides for granting of asylum or refugee status. UNHCR closed its office in the country in March, so during the remainder of the year the CNRD was responsible for issuing and renewing any expired refugee cards as well as providing all refugee assistance. The CNRD had limited capacity to identify asylum seekers and individuals in need of protection in many regions of the country.Durable Solutions: The country continued to host thousands of individuals from Senegal’s Casamance region who in recent decades migrated and settled long-term in the country. Many of these residents maintained ethnic and family ties in both countries and traveled across the often-unmarked international border, rendering the nationality and status of many individuals in the area unclear. After an extensive process interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, UNHCR reported that since the beginning of 2021, more than 4,900 refugees received Guinea-Bissau naturalization and identification documents.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																																																Elections and Political Participation										Recent Elections: The last national presidential election took place in November 2019. The top two finishers from the first round, Domingos Simoes Pereira and Umaro Sissoco Embalo, met in a runoff election in December 2019. The National Election Commission declared Sissoco the winner. International observers characterized the election as free, fair, and transparent. The opposition PAIGC party appealed, disputing the fairness and accuracy of the results. An institutional stalemate ensued, as the Supreme Court of Justice did not ratify the electoral results despite the National Election Commission declaring Sissoco the winner. Sissoco assumed the presidency in 2020 after an unofficial inauguration and transfer of power from the previous president, Jose Mario Vaz. Later in 2020 the Supreme Court of Justice dismissed the opposition’s appeal disputing the election results.Political Parties and Political Participation: The largest opposition party, the PAIGC, criticized the government for blocking its annual conference on three separate occasions. On February 26, government forces reportedly used violence to break up a PAIGC conference (see section 1.c.). On May 8, parliamentarian Agnelo Regala was shot in the leg while leaving his home. Regala claimed the attack was an attempt by the government to kill him in retaliation for his criticism of President Sissoco. The perpetrators of the attack remained at large. Domingos Simoes Pereira and Aristedes Gomes, prominent members of the PAIGC, alleged the government blocked them from departing the country for legally spurious reasons. The government claimed both individuals were subject to pending legal cases that prevented them from leaving the country. Both individuals were eventually permitted to leave the country. Membership in the ruling party conveyed advantages such as greater access to civil service jobs and government contracts.Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit participation of women or members of minority groups in the political process, and they did participate. Some observers believed views regarding traditional gender roles in some parts of the country, particularly in rural areas, may have limited the political participation of women compared to men.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government												    																																															The law provides criminal penalties of one month to 10 years in prison for corruption by officials.  The government did not implement the law effectively, and officials in all branches and on all levels of government engaged in corrupt and nontransparent practices with impunity.  There were numerous reports of government corruption during the year.Corruption:  Members of the military and civilian administration reportedly trafficked in drugs and assisted international drug cartels by providing access to the country and its transportation infrastructure.  Antonio Indjai, the former head of the armed forces, continued to circulate freely in the country.  A fugitive still subject to a 2012 UN travel ban for his involvement in a successful 2012 coup d’état, Indjai reportedly retained influence within the military.The government arrested two officials during the year for suspected involvement in drug trafficking, but these individuals have not yet faced trial.On March 31, Seidi Ba, a private citizen reportedly well-connected to several government agencies, was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment for drug trafficking, but subsequently was reported to be circulating freely in Bissau surrounded by armed bodyguards.In July, the country’s top court overturned the convictions of two alleged drug traffickers who had been sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.  The two were linked to a stash of almost two tons of cocaine that authorities seized in 2019, the largest-ever seizure of cocaine in the country’s history.  The overturning of these convictions raised suspicions among domestic and international observers that untoward influences on the judiciary were behind the court’s decision.																																					Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																																															Several domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases.  Government officials were somewhat cooperative and responsive to their views.Government Human Rights Bodies:  The National Commission on Human Rights is a government human rights organization.  It was independent but remained ineffective.																																					Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: The law prohibits rape of women and men, including spousal rape, and provides penalties for conviction of two to 12 years in prison; however, the government did not always effectively enforce the law. The law permits prosecution of rape only when reported by the survivor, which observers noted was rare due to survivors’ fear of social stigma and retribution.Although the law prohibits domestic violence, such abuse was thought to be widespread, based on media reports of specific cases of domestic violence as well as input from civil society organizations working to combat domestic violence. The government did not undertake specific measures to counter social pressure against reporting domestic violence, rape, incest, and other mistreatment of women.Cases of domestic violence and child abuse were commonly resolved within the household. Limited access to institutions of justice also contributed to the preference for customary law as a way of solving societal problems. Recourse to the formal justice system was poorly understood, expensive, and seldom used.Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): The law prohibits FGM/C for females of all ages. FGM/C, however, was practiced on girls younger than age five. Conviction for its practice is punishable by a fine and five years in prison. A 2021 study by UNICEF found that approximately 52 percent of local women between 15 and 49 years of age were survivors of FGM/C and that FGM/C was practiced most often on girls younger than age five.UNICEF further concluded that the rate of FGM/C remained unchanged for the past four decades. The anti-FGM/C NGO 28 TooMany stated that in some parts of the country, the figure was as high as 95 percent. The Joint Program on FGM/C of the UN Population Fund and UNICEF worked with the Ministry of Justice to strengthen the dissemination and application of the law by building the capacities of officials responsible for program implementation.UNICEF reported that FGM/C led to increased rates of maternal morbidity, genital infections, urinary incontinence, increased infertility, and an increased risk of HIV transmission.Sexual Harassment: No law prohibits sexual harassment, and it was thought to be widespread. The government undertook no initiatives to combat the problem.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.The UN Population Fund reported that 114 health centers offered family planning services but that the availability of birth control services offered varied from center to center. The 2018-19 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey reported that 20.2 percent of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 used a modern method of contraception. Certain religious groups discouraged use of modern contraception. Two NGOs provided emergency contraception kits at public health clinics.The World Heath Statistics 2020 report estimated skilled health personnel attended 45 percent of births and that 55.7 percent of women of reproductive age had access to modern methods of family planning. The health system’s capacity for obstetric care was insufficient, and emergency care was available only in Bissau. The adolescent birth rate was 103 per 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19. There was no information on government assistance to survivors of sexual assault, including the availability of emergency contraception.According to UN estimates, the maternal mortality rate was 667 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, and the lifetime risk of maternal death was one in 160. Major factors causing high maternal mortality were poor health infrastructure and service delivery as well as high rates of adolescent pregnancy. Some girls were not able to attend school due to pregnancy or inadequate access to menstruation hygiene products.Discrimination: The constitution grants men and women equal rights. Gender discrimination, however, prevailed due to societal norms based on traditional customs and rules of ethnic groups and religious communities that perpetuated inequalities. The land-tenure law recognizes equal rights for men and women to access the land, yet it also recognizes the customary law that favors men as a way of acquiring tenure rights. There were legal restrictions to women’s employment in the same occupations and industries as men (see section 7.d.).																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The constitution and law protect members of racial or ethnic minorities or groups against violence and discrimination; however, the government did not enforce the laws effectively.																																				Children										Birth Registration: Citizenship is derived by birth within the country or from citizen parents. Birth registration does not occur automatically at hospitals; parents must register births with a notary. Lack of registration resulted in denial of public services, including education.UNICEF estimated that only 24 percent of births were officially registered. A lack of access to official birth registration could have significant discriminatory effects against children from vulnerable families, complicating the process for obtaining government benefits, health care, and educational enrollment.Education: Most school-age children frequently remained at home during at least part of the year due to teacher strikes, primarily over the government’s failure to pay salaries. There was no significant difference between boys and girls in school enrollment.Child Abuse: There are no specific laws regarding child abuse. Violence against children was thought to occur but was seldom reported to authorities. The country had no state shelters for child survivors of violence. A regulatory framework was in place to allow for alternative housing arrangements for child survivors of violence, including privately funded shelters, orphanages, and host family habitation.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The legal minimum age of marriage is 16 for all individuals. Child, early, and forced marriage occurred among all ethnic groups. Girls who fled arranged marriages often were subsequently exploited in sex trafficking. The buying and selling of child brides also occurred. There were no government efforts to mitigate these problems. According to UNICEF, 6 percent of all girls were married by age 15, and 24 percent by age 18. The Association of Friends of Children (AMIC), a national NGO that advocated for the rights of children, stated that from January to August it rescued 25 girls who were survivors of forced marriage.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The minimum age for consensual sex is 18 for both boys and girls. The law prohibits sex with a person younger than age 16. The law carries a penalty for conviction of statutory rape of two to 12 years in prison. The law also prohibits child pornography, and authorities enforced the law. The law criminalizes commercial sexual exploitation of children, including for sex trafficking, and prescribes penalties of three to 15 years’ imprisonment and the confiscation of any proceeds from the crime. When pedophilia and sexual harassment were reported, police at times blamed survivors.Also see the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.Displaced Children: The national NGO AMIC estimated up to 500 children, mostly from neighboring Guinea, lived on the streets of urban centers including Bissau, Bafata, and Gabu. Several NGOs focused on combating trafficking in persons stated the number of children forced to beg on the streets of Bissau increased substantially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anecdotal evidence confirmed the presence of children begging at many of the city’s large intersections. On September 15, the government announced that it had identified and removed 20 children being held in squalid conditions at a Quranic school in the southern part of the country.																																				Antisemitism										There were small communities of Jews in the country and no reports of antisemitic acts.																																				Trafficking in Persons										See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: No laws criminalize consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults or so-called cross-dressing. No seemingly neutral laws, such as laws on immorality or loitering, were disproportionally applied to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons to justify arbitrary arrest.Violence Against LGBTQI+ Persons: Civil society activists reported acts of violence against LGBTQI+ persons. Although violence against LGBTQI+ persons was neither reported to be widespread nor publicly supported by the government or society, at least one LGBTQI+ individual alleged that police did not assist him after he reported being beaten. There was no information on if or how the police were disciplined for their inaction.Discrimination: No antidiscrimination laws apply specifically to LGBTQI+ persons, but the government officially opposed discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons. While most LGBTQI+ persons did not face legal barriers to accessing housing, health care, education, and employment, LGBTQI+ activists reported LGBTQI+ identity was seen in the culturally conservative eastern regions of the country as socially unacceptable and could result in denial of employment or housing by private individuals.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: There was no procedure in place to allow legal gender recognition for official documents.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices Specifically Targeting LGBTQI+ Individuals: Involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices were not reported to be widespread, nor were they encouraged or supported by the government.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no restrictions on freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly for LGBTQI+ persons. An LGBTQI+ advocacy organization reported hosting an annual LGBTQI+ festival prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.																																				Persons with Disabilities										Persons with disabilities could not access education, health service, public buildings, and transportation on an equal basis with others. The law does not specifically prohibit discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities. The government did not counter discrimination against persons with disabilities or provide access for them to buildings, information, and communications. The government did not provide communication and information on disability concerns in accessible formats. There was discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment and occupation (see section 7.d.). The government made some efforts to assist military veterans with disabilities through pension programs, but these did not adequately address health care, housing, or food needs. Provisions existed to allow voters with disabilities and illiterate voters to participate in the electoral process, but voters with proven severe intellectual disabilities could be prohibited from voting.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provides the freedom to form and join independent unions without prior authorization. The law excludes the military and police and does not fully cover other public-sector officials, agricultural workers, dock workers, or workers in the informal economy.The law provides for the right to strike, but workers must give 72-hour prior notice. The law also prohibits retaliation against strikers and does not exclude any group of workers from relevant legal protections. Many sectors of the economy were on strike at some time during the year, typically because of low salaries. Workers in the education, health, and public sectors went on strike during the year. Public-sector workers demanding an increase in the minimum wage carried out weekly strikes during the year.The law allows unions to conduct their activities without government interference. Laws on unions provide protection only for trade union delegates, while the constitution provides for workers’ rights to free speech and assembly. The law prohibits employer discrimination against official trade union representatives. The law requires reinstatement of workers terminated for union activity. The law does not apply to domestic workers.Authorities generally respected freedom of association in the formal sector. Worker organizations were not independent of government and political parties, employers, or employer associations, which sometimes sought to influence union decisions and actions.Penalties were not commensurate with those for other laws involving denials of civil rights. In 2021, the International Labor Organization (ILO) observed that statutory penalties for antiunion activity were insufficient to deter such activities. Penalties were rarely applied against violators.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor, but the government did not effectively enforce the laws. The government did not use these or other relevant laws to prosecute cases of forced labor. Forced child labor occurred.See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings .Also see the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings .																																				d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation										The constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, social status, intellectual or cultural belief, and religious identity. The constitution also provides that men and women are equal before the law in all aspects of political, economic, social, and cultural life.Women faced considerable pay gaps and were less likely to be hired than men. There were legal restrictions to women’s working hours and employment in occupations and tasks deemed dangerous, jobs in the mining industry, and other work popularly considered inappropriate for women, including construction and heavy industry. LGBTQI+ persons reportedly faced discrimination in hiring, and persons with disabilities faced discrimination in hiring and access to the workplace. The law does not provide for penalties, and there were no reports of enforcement.																																				e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The Council of Ministers annually establishes minimum wage rates for different categories of work but continued to rely on a wage establishment mechanism that the ILO stated was outdated. The law provides for a maximum 45-hour workweek and provisions for overtime pay.Occupational Safety and Health: In cooperation with unions, the Ministries of Justice and Labor established the country’s first legal occupational safety and health (OSH) standards for workers in 2021, but they did not have the force of law or regulation because the National Assembly did not adopt them into law by year’s end. The standards were up-to-date and appropriate for the main industries. Workers do not have the right to remove themselves from unsafe working conditions without jeopardizing their employment.There is no official count of workplace accidents in the country, but there were numerous unofficial reports of workplace accidents.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The Labor Ministry inspector general is responsible for enforcing the law but did not do so effectively. The number of labor inspectors was insufficient to detect and deter violations, and they lacked authority to carry out unannounced inspections and initiate sanctions. Penalties, which usually take the form of minimal fines that have not been adjusted for inflation, were not commensurate with those for similar crimes. Many persons worked under conditions that endangered their health and safety. Penalties were sometimes applied against violators.Informal Sector: Wage and OSH regulations were not enforced in the informal sector, which accounted for approximately 80 percent of workers.																																				    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bhutan											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Central African Republic											Chad											Chile											China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet)											Colombia											Comoros											Costa Rica											Cote d&#8217;Ivoire											Croatia											Cuba											Cyprus											Czech Republic											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France											Gabon											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iran											Iraq											Ireland											Israel, West Bank and Gaza											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kiribati											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyz Republic											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Liechtenstein											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Monaco											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nauru											Nepal											Netherlands											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Korea											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Russia											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											San Marino											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Slovakia											Slovenia											Solomon Islands											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Syria											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											The Bahamas											The Gambia											Timor-Leste											Togo											Tonga											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey (Türkiye)											Turkmenistan											Tuvalu											Uganda											Ukraine											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vanuatu											Venezuela											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																												Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																																																				f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																	Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																	Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Guinea-Bissau
- Guinea-Bissau National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, I extend greetings and congratulations to the people and government of Guinea-Bissau on the 49th anniversary of your independence.On this special day, we reiterate our commitment to expanding ties between the United States and Guinea-Bissau so that we may better promote our shared interests in peace, security, and growth in Guinea-Bissau and throughout the region.  We congratulate Guinea-Bissau on its selection as Chair of the Economic Community of West African States and look forward to supporting you in this vital role.As your nation celebrates its Independence Day, we wish the Bissau-Guinean people prosperity in the years to come and reaffirm the strong bonds between our two countries.
- Joint Statement on Atlantic Cooperation Office of the SpokespersonThe text of the following statement was released by the Governments of The United States of America and Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Cote d Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ireland, Mauritania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, and the United Kingdom on the occasion of a joint statement for cooperation in the Atlantic.Begin Text:We, Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ireland, Mauritania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as coastal countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean and members of the community of Atlantic countries, share a commitment to a peaceful, prosperous, open, and cooperative Atlantic region, while preserving the ocean as a healthy, sustainable, and resilient resource for generations to come.We all depend on the Atlantic for our livelihoods. The Atlantic Ocean is home to important trade routes, significant natural resources, and essential biodiversity. Challenges such as piracy; transnational organized crime; illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; climate change; pollution; and environmental degradation pose a threat to our livelihoods. The Atlantic Ocean also offers untapped economic potential, from natural resources to new technologies. No country alone can solve the cross-boundary challenges in the Atlantic region or fully address the opportunities before us.In order to bring together Atlantic countries to accomplish our shared goals, we will explore opportunities, as appropriate, to partner on a set of common challenges in the Atlantic Ocean region and to explore the development of a wider dialogue on strengthening cooperation in the region.We will explore opportunities to advance shared sustainable development, economic, environmental, scientific, and maritime governance goals across the Atlantic, in accordance with international law, in particular as set forth in the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and we reaffirm UNCLOS&#8217;s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the ocean and the seas. We aim to enhance regional cooperation, to develop a shared approach to Atlantic Ocean issues, and to build shared capacity to solve the challenges we face in the Atlantic.We will explore opportunities to work together to advance our shared goals in the region across multiple topics. We will work to develop the sustainable ocean economy and an inclusive economic model to ensure the ocean continues to sustainably support our livelihoods, from food for growing populations to the conduct of global commerce, both now and for future generations. We recognize that there is no sustainable development without a serious commitment to promote development and alleviate poverty in developing countries. We acknowledge the importance of the transfer of technology on voluntary and mutually agreed terms as a means to bolster development, create jobs and income, support livelihoods, and bridge the technological gap among nations.We will pursue opportunities to address the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, collaborating on science-based, innovative solutions to advance our shared goals, including averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage; building climate resilience; conserving marine and coastal ecosystems; and mitigating marine pollution.We will explore pathways to improve maritime governance, from enabling cooperation for humanitarian response and search and rescue operations to deterring piracy, addressing IUU fishing, and combatting narcotics trafficking.  We are also committed to seeing the South Atlantic as a zone of peace and cooperation that contributes significantly to the strengthening of international peace.Several organizations in the Atlantic have already made important progress on our shared goals. We will build on the spirit of mutually reinforcing Atlantic cooperation fostered by these organizations and support their work to the fullest extent possible. We seek to partner with organizations such as, among others, the Atlantic Center in the Azores as a central hub for innovative, pan-Atlantic policy analysis, political dialogue, and capacity building; the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic as a key coordinating body for South Atlantic countries; the Yaoundé Architecture and the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea as a central body on African regional maritime law enforcement; and the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance as a venue to advance scientific cooperation. We also seek to partner with other appropriate organizations, including regional fisheries bodies and organizations working on sustainable ocean economy and climate and environment issues related to the Atlantic.We will continue to identify additional areas for cooperation based on dialogue with coastal Atlantic countries and existing Atlantic-focused organizations. We will explore opportunities to bring together Atlantic countries, while sharing principles of peaceful existence and ensuring our actions on the Atlantic Ocean, especially the high seas, abide by international law and the international law of the sea, in particular as set forth in the provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS. We seek to strengthen our mutual dialogue and cooperation on this host of shared challenges in the region. We invite other coastal Atlantic countries to join us.End TextFor Media inquiries, please contact OES-PA-DG@state.gov.
- Guinea-Bissau HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2022 Fiscal Transparency Report&#8230;Guinea-Bissau				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Fiscal Transparency Report: Guinea-Bissau																																																																																												 In this section																																												Government-by-Government Assessments: Guinea-Bissau																																												Government-by-Government Assessments: Guinea-Bissau				During the review period, the government did not make budget documents or information on debt obligations widely and easily accessible to the public.  Available budget information did not include allocations to, earnings from, or debt holdings of state-owned enterprises, and the government maintained off-budget accounts in several sectors not subject to adequate oversight.  Budget documents provided a substantially full picture, including major sources of revenue and expenditure.  Projected revenues and expenditures reasonably corresponded to those in the enacted budget.  The government made public its military and intelligence budgets.  The supreme audit institution did not meet international standards of independence and did not audit the executed budget.  The government specified in law or regulation but did not appear to follow in practice the criteria and procedures for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses.  Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was not publicly available.Guinea-Bissau’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:Making budget documents and information on debt obligations widely and easily accessible to the public;Including allocations to, earnings from, and debt holdings of state-owned enterprises in the budget;Subjecting off-budget accounts to adequate audit and oversight;Improving the reliability of budget documents by producing and publishing a supplemental budget when actual revenues and expenditures do not correspond to those in the enacted budget;Ensuring the supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence;Having the supreme audit institution audit the government’s budget, including its military and intelligence budgets, and making its reports publicly available within a reasonable period;Consistently adhering to laws and regulations for contracting and licensing in natural resource extraction; andPublishing basic information on natural resource extraction awards.																												    							View report by:																				China											Iraq											Pakistan											Ukraine											Afghanistan											Comoros											Kazakhstan											Palestinian Authority											Uzbekistan											Algeria											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Laos											Papua New Guinea											Vietnam											Angola											Republic of the Congo											Lebanon											Sudan											Yemen											Azerbaijan											Djibouti											Lesotho											Rwanda											Zambia											The Bahamas											Dominican Republic											Liberia											Sao Tome and Principe											Zimbabwe											Bahrain											Ecuador											Libya											Saudi Arabia											Bangladesh											Egypt											Madagascar											Senegal											Belize											El Salvador											Malawi											Sierra Leone											Benin											Equatorial Guinea											Maldives											Somalia											Burma											Eswatini											Mali											South Sudan											Burundi											Ethiopia											Mauritania											Suriname											Cambodia											Gabon											Mozambique											Tajikistan											Cameroon											Guinea											Nicaragua											Tanzania											Central African Republic											Guinea-Bissau											Niger											Turkmenistan											Chad											Haiti											Oman											Uganda																										On This Page				search													>																										Government-by-Government Assessments: Guinea-Bissau																	Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Division for International Finance and Development																								Guinea-Bissau