Guinea-Bissau authorities have arrested opposition lawmaker Flavio Batica Ferreira during what they described as a mystic ceremony involving sacrifices intended to boost the chances of a coup.
Ferreira, who holds both Bissau-Guinean and French nationalities, was detained on Sunday near Pitche, close to the border with Guinea-Conakry.
He was reportedly arrested alongside a self-proclaimed Muslim supernatural seer and two others.
A source close to Ferreira, a member of the opposition African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), said he is now being held at the interior ministry in the capital, Bissau.
“Rumours of a coup abound. Those who want to instigate them organised mystical ceremonies and made sacrifices to ensure their success,” the security source said, adding that authorities are closely monitoring the situation.
However, human rights activist Abubacar Ture suggested the arrest was politically motivated, pointing out that Ferreira had previously expressed concerns about his safety.
“We were told that he is at the Ministry of the Interior following his arrest during a traditional ceremony. I believe the reason must be political,” Ture told Portuguese radio.
Ferreira’s arrest comes amid an ongoing political standoff between PAIGC and President Umaro Sissoco Embalo.
The opposition insists Embalo’s term should end on February 27—five years after he took office in 2020—while the Supreme Court ruled that his mandate extends until September 4, a decision the opposition rejects.
In December 2023, Embalo dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament days after what he called an attempted coup and has since postponed fresh legislative elections indefinitely by decree.
Guinea-Bissau has suffered multiple coups since declaring independence from Portugal in 1973.
