CPLP Council of Ministers meeting to discuss Guinea-Bissau crisis and next presidency in Dili
DILI, 11 August 2026 (TATOLI) — The political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, where the country has remained under military rule since a November 2025 coup, will be among the key issues discussed at the 31st Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) in Dili.
The meeting, scheduled for Aug. 12-19, will also consider the next president of the CPLP for the 2027-2029 term, according to Joaquim Fernandes, coordinator-general of Timor-Leste’s Pro Tempore Presidency Commission of the CPLP.
Fernandes made the remarks Tuesday during a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Dili.
Asked about Guinea-Bissau’s role in CPLP decision-making despite its suspension from the organisation’s activities, Fernandes said the country remained an important member of the bloc.
“Guinea-Bissau is an indispensable member. It is a founding member,” he said.
Fernandes said the suspension was not intended as a punishment but as a measure to allow CPLP member states to maintain dialogue and work towards restoring constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau.
He said member states were continuing to explore ways to facilitate Guinea-Bissau’s return to the organisation’s activities, while also calling for respect for human rights and the restoration of constitutional normality.
Guinea-Bissau was suspended from participating in all CPLP activities in December 2025 following the breakdown of constitutional order after the Nov. 26 coup.
The suspension was approved at the first Extraordinary Conference of CPLP Heads of State and Government on Dec. 16, 2025, under Article 7 of the organisation’s statutes, which allows measures to be taken in cases of serious violations of constitutional order.
The suspension will remain in place until constitutional order is restored.
At the same meeting, CPLP leaders elected Timor-Leste to assume the organisation’s Pro Tempore Presidency, with all the responsibilities and prerogatives attached to the position.
In July, the CPLP called for the urgent restoration of constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau and demanded the release of Domingos Simões Pereira, president of the country’s National People’s Assembly and leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), who remains in pretrial detention.
The Council of Ministers will also revisit competing bids by Brazil and Equatorial Guinea to lead the CPLP for the 2027-2029 term.
Fernandes described the issue as “sensitive” and said it would be addressed during the meeting in Dili.
The two countries have been seeking the presidency since member states failed to reach consensus at the 15th CPLP Conference of Heads of State and Government in July 2025.
Equatorial Guinea claimed the presidency for 2027-2029, while Brazil formally put forward its own candidacy. With no agreement reached, the decision was postponed.
The issue is now expected to return to the agenda as CPLP ministers meet in Dili, with member states seeking to resolve the dispute and determine who will lead the organisation for the next two-year term.
Journalist: Afonso do Rosário
Editor: Isaura Lemos de Deus
Translator: Filomeno Martins
