Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UNDERSTAND GUINEA-BISSAU
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Guinea-Bissau Today
In 2012, President Malam Bacai Sanha died from illness, plunging the country into another
bout of instability and adding another name to the long list of presidents who have failed to
complete a full term in power. A coup d'etat ousted the prime minister and election fron-
trunner three months later and a transitional government was installed, headed by Manuel
Serifo Nhamadjo, who was chosen by West African bloc Ecowas. Nhamadjo's time in
power was shaken by coup attempts and attacks, and fresh elections were tentatively
planned for 2013. At the time of research tensions were rising between the Balanta and oth-
er ethnic groups.
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History
In around 1200, when a group of Malinké was led to present-day Guinea-Bissau by a gen-
eral of Sunjata Keita, the region became an outpost of the Empire of Mali. In 1537, it be-
came a state in its own right - the Kaabu Empire. Gabù became the capital of this small
kingdom.
European Arrival & Colonisation
Portuguese navigators first reached the area around 1450, and established lucrative routes
for trading slaves and goods. With the abolition of the slave trade in the 19th century, the
Portuguese extended their influence beyond the coast towards the interior in order to con-
tinue extracting wealth.
Portuguese Guinea descended into one of the most repressive and exploitative colonial
regimes in Africa, particularly accentuated when right-wing dictator António Salazar came
to power in Portugal in 1926.
