A military court in Guinea-Bissau has ordered the imprisonment of opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira over allegations that he attempted to overthrow the country’s previous government.
According to security sources, Pereira was taken into custody on Friday after appearing before a military court in the capital, Bissau.
The leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) had initially been detained when the military ousted former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on 26 November last year.
He was, however, released in January and had been under house arrest in Bissau until his latest detention.
Pereira is accused of financing an alleged coup attempt in October 2025, as well as facing separate financial crime allegations and accusations of involvement in another failed coup bid in 2023.
Both alleged plots reportedly took place during Embalo’s administration, before the former president was overthrown by the military.
A security source told AFP that Pereira was immediately informed of the decision to imprison him upon arriving at the court.
“Upon his arrival, the military court judge informed him of the decision to imprison him,” the source said.
“It all happened in a matter of minutes. He was escorted to prison by heavily armed rapid-response police officers wearing balaclavas.”
The opposition leader was subsequently transferred to the Segunda Esquadra prison under heavy security.
Reacting to the development, Roberto Indeque, a member of Pereira’s legal team, said the lawyers boycotted the hearing because they believed the proceedings violated legal procedures.
“We, his lawyers, decided to boycott the hearing by refusing to appear, on the grounds that the proceedings were taking place outside the legal framework and that we had not even been informed of our client’s appearance before the judge,” he said on local radio.
Pereira’s legal team and the PAIGC have consistently rejected the allegations against him, describing them as arbitrary and politically motivated.
They claim the charges form part of a campaign to prevent the opposition leader from participating in the country’s presidential election scheduled for 6 December.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced chronic political instability since gaining independence in 1974, recording five coups and several attempted takeovers.
The country is currently under military rule led by General Horta N’Tam, while persistent poverty and political unrest have continued to fuel corruption and drug trafficking concerns across the West African nation.
