Guinea-Bissau's Radio Capital FM was again raided by armed men
The Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday that Guinea Bissau's authorities must carry out a thorough investigation into the latest attack on radio station Radio Capital FM, ensure the safety of its employees, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Media reports and Radio Capital FM host Sabino Santos and owner and director Lassana Cassamá confirmed that at around 10 a.m. on Monday, a group of about four unidentified men shot at the broadcaster's headquarters in Bissau, the capital, and ransacked the premises.
One or more of the attackers, some wearing military uniforms and others in civilian clothing, shot and destroyed broadcast equipment all throughout the office, according to those sources.
The men openly debated killing the station's staff, but one of them ordered that no one be harmed, Santos and Cassamá said. Several employees were injured trying to flee over the two-meter wall surrounding the building, they said.
Initially, the station was guarded by a police officer, who fled as soon as the attack began, according to Santos and Cassamá.
A call-in show that morning invited listeners to comment on the country's failed coup attempt on February 1, Santos said. The station has been critical of the government of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
Unidentified armed men struck the broadcaster in July 2020, smashing its broadcast equipment. Police are now stationed at the broadcaster.
Radio technicians Lassana Djassi, Bakar Kuiaté, and Alssene Kandé, along with administrative worker Sana Mancal, suffered injuries escaping the radio station's wall, according to Santos.
According to Santos, the national judicial police sealed the station to investigate the attack, and he was unable to predict when they would reopen the station.
In remarks to journalists yesterday, Salvador Soares, deputy commissioner of the public order police, described the attack as "an isolated act."
Along with Radio Capital FM host Sumba Nancil, Santos was also investigated for criminal defamation over his work last year. The case was later dropped due to a lack of evidence.
*This article contains information sourced from CPJ.
