Guinea-Bissau. RTP journalist victim of assault and battery

Journalist and delegate of Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP) in Guinea-Bissau, Waldir Araújo, was attacked and robbed this Sunday in the center of Bissau by unknown individuals, several local media outlets reported.

According to Araújo, quoted by the Guinean media, the assault and aggression were politically motivated, according to statements made by the attackers, who accused RTP “of tarnishing the image of Guinea-Bissau abroad.”

The journalist, who has been an RTP delegate in Bissau since 2019, chose to speak in more detail about what happened after filing a complaint with the Judiciary Police and receiving medical treatment at home.

In the images published by the blog “Ditadura Sem Consenso”, which reported the assault and robbery, Waldir Araújo appears with part of his face covered in blood.

The Guinean Union of Journalists and Social Communication Technicians (Sinjotecs) condemned the assault and robbery of the RTP journalist, and demanded an investigation by the authorities.

In a statement seen by Lusa, Sinjotecs, led by RTP-África journalist Indira Correia Baldé, stated that Waldir Araújo was assaulted and his belongings stolen by unknown assailants in the center of Bissau. "We demand a swift and thorough investigation from the competent authorities, identifying and holding accountable the perpetrators of this attack," the union stated in the statement.

News updated at 4:20 p.m. with a statement from the Union of Journalists and Social Communication Technicians