Bissau, 26 November, 2025 / 6:58 PM
Members of the Regional Union of the Diocesan Priests of West Africa (RUPWA) have expressed concern about political and social tension in Guinea-Bissau following the country's November 23 Presidential poll, warning of the risk of an escalation that could undermine social peace.
In a statement issued Tuesday, November 25, RUPWA members condemned any action that encourages violence or division among Bissau-Guineans and called for respect for the popular will expressed at the polls.
“The will expressed through the ballot box is sacred and must be received responsibly,” the Diocesan Priests from the member nations of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) said.
They noted that “the current moment requires serenity, civic commitment, and fidelity to what the people decided through the vote.”
RUPWA members emphasized that national stability depends directly on the protection of peace and respect for the democratic choices of citizens.
On Monday, November 24, incumbent Umaro Sissoco Embalo and main challenger Fernando Dias both declared victory before the release of official results, Reuters reported.
Reuters further reported that sustained gunfire broke out on Wednesday, November 26 near the headquarters of the national election commission in Guinea-Bissau's capital.
More than 65 percent of voters turned out on November 23, and provisional results are expected to be announced on Thursday, November 27.
In their November 25 statement, RUPWA members expressed concern about the growing tension, emphasizing that “preserving social peace and respecting the results expressed at the polls” is a moral and civic duty, and that disrespecting this principle could open the door to “undesirable conflict.”
The Catholic Bishops ministering in Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, and Togo encouraged Guineans to reject violence, remain calm as the institutional process unfolds, and uphold the values of peace and reconciliation.
“Beloved brothers and sisters, in the light of the faith that unites us and the fraternity that sustains us, I address this appeal to the heart of every Guinean: may this election season be lived as a true celebration of democracy, marked by serenity, dialogue and mutual respect,” they said.
The Priests emphasized that elections represent a fundamental moment in democratic life and recalled that the voter’s choice stems from “the conscience and freedom of each citizen.”
They noted that respecting the results means “respecting the people themselves and the future of the Bissau-Guinean nation.”
The RUPWA members urged the people of God “to reject any form of violence or division and to cultivate gestures of peace and reconciliation,” appealing to Bisau- Guineans to remain calm while awaiting the institutional conclusion of the electoral process.
“The true strength of a people lies in their capacity to dialogue, to unite, and to build the future together,” they said, inviting all citizens to let every action be guided “by peace, fraternity, and mutual respect.”
The Catholic Priests noted that “the choice made at the polls represents the path the people have decided to follow” and call for responsibility from all parties involved.
They reiterated that “diversity of opinion strengthens democracy but must never become a motive for violence, and the country’s future depends on the collective ability to place the common good above individual interests.”
RUPWA members appealed to citizens to turn the electoral process “into a celebration of our civic maturity and not a source of division,” asking that the Holy Spirit “illuminate our steps and guide us in building a more just and fraternal Guinea-Bissau.”
“United, we will always be stronger,” they said in their November 25 statement.
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