New York, Aug. 18, 2025 (Lusa) - The coordinator of the Africa Programme of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Muthoki Mumo, said on Wednesday that the expulsion of the Lusa agency, RTP and RDP from Guinea-Bissau shows the government's "hostility" towards journalists.

"Guinea-Bissau's closure of Lusa and RTP is the latest sign of the government's hostility towards the media and raises significant concerns about public access to independent journalism in the run-up to the country's general elections in November," Muthoki Mumo said in a statement sent to Lusa.

Guinea-Bissau, he continued, "must allow Lusa and RTP to continue to operate freely and ensure that journalists can work in the country without undue interference."

The presidential-initiated government expelled the Portuguese media from Guinea-Bissau, decreeing the end of broadcasting with immediate effect on 15 August and the departure from the country of the representatives of these bodies until four days later, without giving any justification.

The Guinean head of state has called general presidential and legislative elections for 23 November, which will be organised entirely internally for the first time in Guinea-Bissau.

The news directorates of Lusa, RTP and RDP reacted jointly to the Guinean government's decision, which they describe as "a deliberate attack on freedom of expression".

The news organisations demand that journalists from Lusa, RTP Radio and RDP Television be allowed to continue exercising their right to inform in Guinea-Bissau".

Portugal's Foreign Ministry repudiated the expulsion of Lusa, RTP and RDP from Guinea-Bissau, which it described as "highly reprehensible and unjustifiable".

Paulo Rangel met with his Guinea-Bissau counterpart, Carlos Pinto Pereira, in Lisbon on Monday, expressing the hope that the situation "can be overcome".

MBA/ADB // ADB.

Lusa