Guinea-Bissau’s ruling military council has accused Mozambican President Daniel Chapo of lacking the ‘moral authority’ to criticise the country’s political situation, responding sharply to remarks he made regarding the detention of opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira.
In a statement cited by the Lusa news agency, the Conselho Nacional de Transição — Guinea-Bissau’s transitional governing body — described it as ‘an unprecedented absurdity that Daniel Chapo should attempt to point a finger at Guinea-Bissau when Mozambique is on fire, torn apart by a bloody insurgency and terrorism that his administration is incapable of resolving.’
The junta went further, stating that ‘a ruler who cannot guarantee the security, order and peace of his own citizens should have the decency to shut himself in his palace and get to work, rather than meddling in the affairs of a sovereign and stable state such as Guinea-Bissau.’
The military council added that ‘Guinea-Bissau categorically refuses moral and democratic lessons from those who lack the substance, legitimacy and moral authority to deliver them.’
The rebuke follows comments made by Chapo on Friday, in which he expressed concern over Pereira’s imprisonment, arguing that ‘situations such as this should not occur within the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP).’
The transitional council also invoked what it characterised as ‘the international humiliation suffered by Daniel Chapo’ during his inauguration as President of Mozambique.
‘The entire CPLP turned its back on him […]. The only leader who had the dignity and courage to be present, extending a hand to the Mozambican people at a time when the streets still echoed with gunfire, chaos and strong popular contestation, was the President of Guinea-Bissau,’ the statement read.
Guinea-Bissau’s military seized power in a coup in November 2025, interrupting a general election process. The junta subsequently announced a one-year transition period and scheduled new elections for 6 December.
Following the coup, Guinea-Bissau was suspended from the CPLP, an organisation it had been chairing at the time. Relations between Bissau and the Community have since been marked by persistent tensions, as have ties with several member states, including Portugal, Timor-Leste, Cabo Verde and, most recently, Mozambique.
According to available information, the CPLP remains the only international organisation of which Guinea-Bissau is a member that has yet to dispatch a goodwill mission to the country since the military takeover.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/20/mundo/cplp/junta-militar-da-guine-bissau-acusa-daniel-chapo-de-falta-de-autoridade-moral/
