The political scene in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau is experiencing major turbulence, marked by the arrest of opposition members, attacks on party headquarters, and the establishment of transitional governments under heavy military surveillance.

Guinea: Condé's plane in the crosshairs

In Guinea, political tension has risen a notch following the arrest of several leaders of the Rally for the Guinean People (RPG) , the party of former president Alpha Condé .

1. Arrests without clear cause: The party is still trying to establish a complete list of those arrested, which could include around ten names. Two figures have been formally identified: Karinka Doumbouya (a member of the central committee) and Sanassy Keita (a journalist and cameraman who worked for Condé).
2. The authorities' silence: The lack of official communication regarding the detention locations and the reasons for the charges plunges the families and the RPG party into uncertainty. This situation reinforces the idea that the transitional government is targeting the former presidential apparatus, two years after Alpha Condé's fall in 2021.

Guinea-Bissau: A transitional government under military control

In Guinea-Bissau, the situation is dominated by the suspension of the electoral process and the installation of a provisional government by the military.

The new executive: civilians and military

A few hours after the investiture of the new Prime Minister, Ilidio Té Vieira , the military authorities made public the composition of a transitional government of 22 ministers and five secretaries of state.

1. Military leadership: The executive branch is headed by Major General Horta N'Tam , the transitional president, and includes three high-ranking army officers in key positions.
2. Mixed composition: Although the majority is made up of civilians (including five women in important portfolios), the presence of military personnel and several ministers retained from the old regime (such as Carlos Pinto Pereira at Justice) aims to project an image of continuity while asserting the control of the High Military Command.
3. Notable figure: The appointment of João Bernardo Vieira — nephew of former president Nino Vieira and independent candidate in the aborted presidential election — to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is particularly noteworthy.

Attacks against opposition parties and arrests

Despite the establishment of the government, political insecurity is palpable, particularly in the streets.

1. Party headquarters attacked: On the morning of Saturday, November 29, the offices of the PAIGC (historical party) and the PRS (supporting Fernando Dias) were stormed by armed men. Staff were forcibly removed and the offices were ransacked.
2. PAIGC spokesman Mouniro Conté denounces a plan to fabricate accusations against his party by secretly planting military equipment there.
3. Arrests: Domingos Simões Pereira (a leading figure in the PAIGC and former Prime Minister) remains detained at the Ministry of the Interior. Tensions have also erupted in Bissau, leading to the violent arrest of several young PRS activists, whose whereabouts are unknown. Candidate Fernando Dias , who claims victory in the interrupted election, remains in hiding.

ECOWAS called upon

Faced with the escalating tensions, the credibility of the new military regime is being tested. The arrival of the ECOWAS mission, initially scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed until Monday.

1. Call for a firm response: Saïd Larifou, Domingos Simões Pereira's lawyer, is appealing to ECOWAS to secure his client's release. He criticizes the organization for its lack of consistency, arguing that it granted preferential treatment to former president Umaro Sissoco Embaló while allowing supporters of the candidate contesting the results to be prosecuted or arrested.
2. The lawyer considers the current situation a "serious attack" on the democratic process and insists on the need for international intervention to restore institutional confidence.