Guinea-Bissau: Civil society activist Vigário Luís Balanta found dead

By Sarah Miansoni

Vigário Luís Balanta, a Guinea-Bissau civil society activist and a critic of the country’s military junta, was found dead on Tuesday.

Balanta’s body was found in the Ndam area, about 30 kilometres from the capital Bissau, according to local media.

Reports from media and fellow activists say the 35-year-old advocate was violently attacked and beaten to death.

The Civil Society Social Pact, a civil society organisation, paid tribute to an “inspiring figure for the youth of Guinea-Bissau, who advocated for building a dignified future in the country, rather than resorting to emigration,” according to remarks reported by RFI.

The organisation, of which Balanta was the spokesperson, also called for an independent investigation into his death, with the involvement of the Guinean League for Human Rights and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Vigário Luís Balanta was the president of the Pó di Terra revolutionary movement and a vocal critic of Guinea-Bissau’s transitional authorities.

He denounced the country’s protest ban and demanded the publication of the results of the presidential and legislative elections held in November 2025.

The military junta led by General Horta N’tam has ruled the country since a coup toppled former president Umaro Sissoco Embaló after the latest elections.

The transitional government condemned Balanta’s “violent death” in a statement on Tuesday. Authorities also described the crime as “barbaric” and demanded an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the event.