""Zero tolerance in the fight against corruption and drug trafficking is our top priority," declared Guinea-Bissau's Interim President General Horta Inta-A upon taking office following a military coup that suspended the constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau. But speaking out about drug crime is still dangerous, and while reporting this story, DW encountered a wall of silence. Those willing to speak often anonymously painted a picture where political and military actors are barely distinguishable from the criminal structures they claim to fight."
""Cocaine money has long been invested in Guinea-Bissau's elections, including the recent one," says Lucia Bird, head of the West Africa Observatory at the Geneva-based NGO Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime (GI-TOC), which published a report on "Cocaine Politics in Guinea-Bissau" in August 2025. She adds: "International drug traffickers have financially supported various candidates. Payments are usually made by local drug traffickers from Guinea-Bissau, though rarely by representatives of foreign cartels." Bird tells DW that in "exchange for campaign support, politicians offer traffickers protection.""
"Guinea-Bissau has long been considered one of the largest transit zones for cocaine on its way from South America to Europe. Even before the coup, it was noticeable how lavishly the various candidates in the November 23 parliamentary and presidential elections ran their campaigns. In the capital Bissau, political factions drove convoys of expensive SUVs, professionally produced videos ran on LED screens, and rallies were staged with costly sound and light equipment despite most candidates officially claiming to have limited funds."
Guinea-Bissau functions as a major cocaine transit hub from South America to Europe, aided by a long Atlantic coastline, poorly monitored airspace, and the Bijagos Archipelago. Campaigns in the 2025 elections displayed lavish spending inconsistent with declared funds, with convoys of expensive vehicles, LED campaign videos, and professional rally production. International and local drug traffickers have financially supported candidates, with payments often routed through local actors. Political protection is exchanged for campaign support, creating blurred boundaries between state actors and criminal networks. Speaking about drug crime remains dangerous, contributing to silence and impunity across political and military spheres.
Read at www.dw.com
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