"The victim was Vigario Luis Balanta, a 35-year-old teacher and a prominent critic of Guinea-Bissau's military leadership that had seized power in a coup four months earlier, ousting outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embalo."
"Civil society groups, including Po di Terra and the Bissau-Guinean League of Human Rights, have accused the transitional military regime or forces aligned with it of orchestrating Balanta's murder."
"Seif Magango, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, stated that Balanta's death comes amid a progressive reduction of civic and democratic space, which has accelerated in Guinea-Bissau since the November 2025 coup."
Vigario Luis Balanta, a 35-year-old teacher and critic of Guinea-Bissau's military leadership, was found dead in a swampy area outside Bissau. His body showed signs of severe violence, including multiple wounds and gunshot injuries. Balanta was a prominent figure in the civil society movement Po di Terra and had been reported missing before his kidnapping. His murder has been attributed to military-linked forces, raising alarms about the diminishing civic and democratic space in Guinea-Bissau since the recent coup.
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