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Document #2111875
USDOS – US Department of State (Author)
The constitution establishes the separation of religion and state and the responsibility of the state to respect and protect legally recognized religious groups. It holds freedom of conscience and religion as inviolable and provides for freedom of worship so long as it does not violate the fundamental principles cited in the constitution. It states that all citizens are equal under the law, with the same rights and obligations irrespective of their religion, and it recognizes the freedom of religious groups to teach their faith.
The government continued a 2022 suspension of tax exemptions for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and religious bodies on imported goods, which it said was part of the process to survey and balance customs and tax exemptions for all organizations. A government order for a Pentecostal church’s radio programming to be limited to a 60-kilometer (36-mile) radius remained in effect, although the church continued not to comply and faced no repercussions. In September, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo made remarks at an event in Germany in which he called on religious leaders to work together to address challenges to peace and security. Also in September, the recently elected legislature held an interreligious service attended by Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant leaders in which parliamentarians and religious leaders committed to practicing religious tolerance.
A human rights NGO stated that through early November, 10 individuals died from violence in cases related to witchcraft, and there were 46 cases of violence related to witchcraft during the year. Some religious leaders stated that religious extremism was spreading in the country’s east, citing the country’s porous borders and endemic poverty as principal contributing factors. In January, a community in Canchungo suspended the religious activities of a local evangelical Protestant church, accusing the church of not respecting the community’s ancestral animist practices. Religious leaders stated that different religious groups were mostly respectful and tolerant of one another throughout the country.
There is no permanent U.S. diplomatic presence in the country. The United States directs its engagement with the country from the U.S. embassy in Dakar, Senegal. In September and November, a member of the Guinea-Bissau Liaison Office of the embassy met with Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant leaders in Bissau, renewing prior discussions related to issues of religious tolerance and coexistence. Locally employed embassy staff based in Bissau and U.S. personnel based at the embassy in Dakar maintained contact with multiple religious leaders, staff, and adherents throughout the year.
The U.S. government estimates the total population at 2.1 million (midyear 2023). Estimates of the religious composition of the population vary widely, but according to the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project (2020), approximately 46 percent are Muslim, 31 percent follow Indigenous religious practices, and 19 percent are Christian. Groups that together constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and those unaffiliated with any religious group.
The Fula (Peuhl or Fulani) and Mandinka (Malinke) ethnic groups are the most numerous followers of Islam. Muslims generally live in the north and northeast, and most Muslims are Sunni, although Shia communities also exist. Adherents of Indigenous religious beliefs generally live in all but the northern parts of the country. The Christian population, including Roman Catholics and Protestants, is primarily drawn from the Pepel, Manjaco, and Balanta ethnic groups and is concentrated in Bissau and along the coast. Catholics represent more than half of the Christian population, while Brazilian Protestant and other Protestant denominations maintain a significant number of congregations and missions throughout the country. Large numbers of Muslims and Christians hold Indigenous beliefs as well.
The constitution stipulates the state shall be separate from religious institutions and shall respect and protect legally recognized religious groups, whose activities shall be subject to the law. It holds freedom of conscience and religion as inviolable, even if the state declares a state of siege, and provides for freedom of worship so long as it does not violate the fundamental principles cited in the constitution. It establishes that all citizens are equal under the law, with the same rights and obligations, irrespective of their religion. Political parties and labor unions are barred from affiliating with a particular religious group. The constitution recognizes the freedom of religious groups to teach their faith.
The government requires religious groups to obtain licenses. The formal process, which is not often followed, entails providing the name, location, type, and size of the organization to the Ministry of Justice. Under the law, religious groups are recognized as associations. The state provides tax exemptions for NGOs and religious bodies for importing goods. In accordance with the constitution, religious instruction is not permitted in public schools. The Ministry of Education enforces this prohibition. There are some private schools operated by religious groups. Private schools must meet government-approved curriculum standards and receive Ministry of Education validation in order to grant nationally recognized diplomas or completion certificates. The government-approved curriculum standards require a broader base of conventional subjects, such as science and the Portuguese language, rather than a more limited curriculum of Arabic and Quranic studies, as offered in some Islamic schools.
The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The government continued a suspension of tax exemptions for NGOs and religious bodies on imported goods instituted in September 2022. When the suspension went into effect, the Ministry of Finance stated that the decision was part of the process to survey and balance customs and tax exemptions for all organizations. As of year’s end, the suspension remained in effect.
The Pentecostal church Igreja Assembleia De Deus (Assembly of God Church) continued to transmit radio programming beyond the 60-kilometer (36-mile) limit ordered by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in 2022. The Church asked the government to reconsider its restriction when initially imposed but did not receive a response. There were no repercussions reported for the Church’s failure to comply. Other religious leaders had previously stated that Igreja Assembleia promoted division, intolerance, and disrespect toward other religious groups. Igreja Assembleia’s leader responded that there was no intent to attack any other religious groups, but that the Church’s interpretation of the Bible differed from that of others. The leader also stated that the Church had been criticized for its opposition to forced marriages and its efforts to assist victims of forced marriages.
In July, President Embalo discussed religious tolerance with Bishop of Bissau Jose Lampra Ca and other senior leaders of the Catholic Church and also discussed participation of local youth in World Youth Day, held in August in Lisbon.
In a September interreligious event in Berlin sponsored by the Catholic Community of Sant Egidio, President Embalo called on religious leaders to work together to address challenges of peace and security.
In September, the newly elected legislature held an interfaith service attended by Catholic, evangelical Protestant, and Muslim leaders. During the service, national deputies and religious leaders committed to practicing religious tolerance and living in peace.
The NGO Human Rights League of Guinea-Bissau (HRL) reported that 10 individuals died from violence in cases related to witchcraft, compared with nine deaths in 2022. HRL’s task force investigating accusations of witchcraft reported 46 cases of violence related to witchcraft during the year, which the task force said were typically due to ignorance and misunderstandings.
Some religious leaders stated that religious extremism was spreading in the country’s east, citing the country’s porous borders and endemic poverty as principal contributing factors. Without providing specific details, the religious leaders said they believed most extremist influence was coming from the neighboring country of Guinea. A Muslim religious leader again identified some mosques as operating with funds from outside the country and trying to attract members with gifts or food. The leader said that Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Pakistan were sources for the funds.
In January, the Cobiana community in Canchungo suspended religious activities by a local evangelical Protestant church, and the church as well as the school run by the church remained closed at year’s end. Community members said they believed the church did not respect their ancestral animist practices. The HRL mediated the case but did not reach a resolution by year’s end.
Local religious leaders stated that different religious groups were mostly respectful and tolerant of one another throughout the country. Islamic leaders said religious groups lived side by side in an environment of peace. Leaders from different religious groups also spoke positively of past efforts to meet with each other to address matters of concern.
As part of International Women’s Day in March, religious leaders and civil society representatives held a roundtable in partnership with the Ministry of Women, Family, and Social Solidarity to promote the role of women and the integration of gender in the prevention of radicalism and violent extremism related to religion.
In January, representatives from Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant religious communities took part in a march to promote peace and religious tolerance in the eastern city of Bafata. The march ended at government offices, where religious leaders offered prayers that future elections would remain calm and peaceful and not incite religious or ethnic hatred.
Several churches and mosques utilized radio to broadcast both religious and nonreligious content. The Imam’s Union of Guinea-Bissau continued to broadcast a radio program aimed at both Muslim and non-Muslim religious leaders every Friday afternoon that, according to the station’s leadership, sought to sensitize and educate listeners on issues of social and religious tolerance. The union said more than 70 percent of the weekly broadcast addressed social issues, and the program included a question-and-answer period in which listeners could send chat messages, with questions and comments. The program, which reportedly extended to more than 95 percent of the country, allowed imams to address topics of interest or concern. The union said the ability to provide information rapidly and receive messages from listeners through this format helped to identify and address issues of importance, such as the potential spread of religious extremism.
There is no permanent U.S. diplomatic presence in the country. The United States directs its engagement with the country from the U.S. embassy in Dakar, Senegal. In September and November, a member of the Guinea-Bissau Liaison Office of the embassy met with Muslim, Catholic, and evangelical Protestant leaders in Bissau, renewing prior discussions related to issues of tolerance and coexistence. Locally employed embassy staff based in Bissau and U.S. personnel based at the embassy in Dakar maintained contact with multiple religious leaders, staff, and adherents throughout the year.
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