Military court frees National Guard officers
Colonel Victor Tchongo and two other officers were released on November 10, 2026, after being detained since December 2023.
Colonel Victor Tchongo, former commander-general of the National Guard, Major Ramalhano Mendes, ex-operations commander, and Major Lamine Camará, his deputy, were freed on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 10, 2026, by order of the Superior Military Court of Guinea-Bissau. The three officers had been held since December 1, 2023, following accusations of attempting a coup.
Their detention stemmed from events where elements of the National Guard's Intervention and Reserve Brigade forcibly removed former officials Suleimane Seidi and António Monteiro from police custody. This action led to a military intervention classified by authorities as a coup attempt, occurring between November 30 and December 1, 2023.
In June 2025, a Regional Military Court had convicted Tchongo, Mendes, and Camará. A source from the Guinean Human Rights League confirmed their release, stating that four other individuals detained in the same case, associated with Tcherno Barri, were also freed.
Why it mattersThe release of high-ranking National Guard officers and others detained since 2023 offers a potential shift in the ongoing legal and political situation.