Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) has firmly rejected any proposal for a military-led transition, reiterating its call for an immediate return to constitutional order and the recognition of Fernando Dias da Costa, the party-backed candidate, as the winner of the November 23 presidential election.
The position was outlined in a resolution adopted during an online meeting of the PAIGC’s Permanent Commission held on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, under the chairmanship of Vice President Califa Seidi.
In the resolution, the party welcomed what it described as the “firm stance of the international community against the coup regime” and urged party militants to remain united in the face of the ongoing political crisis.
The Permanent Commission also demanded the immediate release of PAIGC President Domingos Simões Pereira and other party leaders who have been detained since the military coup of November 26.
In its statement, the PAIGC strongly condemned what it termed the subversion of the constitutional order, the repression of political freedoms, and systematic violations of human rights in the country.
The party accused the leaders of the coup of disregarding repeated national and international appeals, including calls from ECOWAS, the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and the United Nations, as well as mediation efforts led by the President of Senegal.
According to the PAIGC, the continued detention of political leaders is being used as a tool for political manipulation, further deepening the country’s instability.
The party also denounced recent abuses against civil society actors, including attacks on the House of Rights and the reported beatings of human rights activists. It expressed solidarity with lawyer Augusto Nansambé and Abubacar Martins Sambu, president of the Guinean Movement for Democracy and Development, who were recently subjected to abduction and physical assault.
The PAIGC concluded by reaffirming its commitment to democratic principles and urging sustained national and international pressure to restore constitutional governance in Guinea-Bissau.
