Guinea-Bissau military court keeps opposition leader Pereira under house arrest over coup claims
A military court in Guinea-Bissau on Thursday, June 4, ordered PAIGC leader Domingos Simões Pereira to remain under house arrest after more than three hours of questioning over alleged involvement in coup plots in 2023 and October 2025. Pereira, detained when the army ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on November 26, 2025, was released to house arrest in January but remains under investigation. His lawyer, João Paulo Indeque, said Pereira answered all questions and denied any role in subverting constitutional order. The country remains under a transitional government led by General Horta N'Tam, who took power in the November coup.
Why it matters
Guinea-Bissau has endured four coups and numerous attempted putsches since independence from Portugal in 1974, making it one of West Africa's most chronically unstable states. The continued legal pressure on Pereira—a former prime minister and the most prominent opposition figure—signals the junta is consolidating control and may sideline the historic ruling party ahead of any return to civilian rule, raising questions about the credibility of the transition.