By Kamal Hammajo | November 27, 2025 Guinea-Bissau has long struggled with a cycle of political instability marked by repeated military interventions. Since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1974, the military has played an outsized role in governance, shaping national politics through coups, attempted coups, and periods of violent upheaval. This persistent interference has significantly undermined the nation’s development and weakened its institutions. A LEGACY ROOTED IN THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE At independence, Guinea-Bissau inherited a strong military influence after years of armed struggle led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). The armed forces, having delivered victory on the battlefield, entered the post-independence era with enormous political authority. That authority soon translated into direct intervention. A HISTORY DEFINED BY COUPS AND CRISIS The country’s first major coup occurred on 14 November 1980, when then–Prime M...