Guinea-Bissau’s public prosecutor has set up a commission to investigate the murder of rapper and activist Vigario Luis Balanta, following months of pressure from the opposition and the media to hold those responsible to account.
Balanta, 32, was beaten to death in March and his body was dumped in a field outside the capital, Bissau. He had told friends he feared for his life in the months before his killing, and his death drove the social and political movement he founded, Pó di Terra, underground.
The prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Monday that the commission would have 60 days to identify the suspects, establish the crimes committed and present its conclusions.
Pó di Terra, which like Balanta has criticised Guinea-Bissau’s cycle of coups and violence, said on Tuesday that it welcomed the move while calling for a rigorous, transparent and independent investigation.
“This commission is a sign that popular pressure and the demand for truth could not be ignored,” the movement said in a statement. “Pó di Terra will not watch this process with naivety or passivity. We are following closely.”
Its new leader, Nado da Cunha, said the movement was determined to secure justice. “We demand that this commission not serve for political dividends or cabinet manoeuvres to clean the image of institutions,” he wrote in a text message from Brazil, where he is based for security reasons.
Balanta founded Pó di Terra — roughly “natives of the land” in Guinean Portuguese — in 2023. The youth-led movement campaigns for democratic governance, human rights, freedom of expression and political accountability, and his rap music described the poverty and hardship of growing up in a country with few opportunities. A friend and fellow member of the movement, Emilio Lima Betungut, told Reuters in August that Balanta “was the only person who had the courage and audacity to speak out openly about political and social issues”.
Guinea-Bissau has been under military rule since a coup in November 2025, which the junta said was needed to stop drug traffickers seizing a country long used as a major cocaine transit hub. The takeover derailed an election that opposition contender Fernando Dias said he was poised to win. The government has previously condemned Balanta’s killing and said it could not comment further until investigations were finished, while Pó di Terra has accused it of protecting his killers.
The military government says it plans to hold a constitutional referendum followed by general elections on 6 December 2026. The UN Human Rights Office has said it is following the case and urging the government to bring those responsible to justice.
Sources: Reuters, “Guinea-Bissau to investigate killing of rapper who criticised coup leaders”, 10 November 2026 — https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/guinea-bissau-investigate-killing-rapper-who-criticised-coup-leaders-2026-11-10/ ; Reuters, “Killing of Guinea-Bissau rapper sends opposition underground”, 21 August 2026 — https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/killing-guinea-bissau-rapper-sends-opposition-underground-2026-08-21/ ; Freemuse, “Rhythms of Revolt that Terrified a Junta: Honouring Vigário Luís Balanta”, 3 November 2026 — https://www.freemuse.org/rhythms-of-revolt-that-terrified-a-junta-honouring-vigario-luis-balanta
