Guinea-Bissau has seen frequent changes of government and coup d'état since it gained independence in 1974. Image credit: Jbdodane. Guinea-Bissau has seen frequent changes of government and coup d'état since it gained independence in 1974. Image credit: Jbdodane.

Guinea Bissau has become a key transit point for international drug smugglers
Insight on Conflict now covers Guinea-Bissau. The small West African country has seen significant political violence since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974 - including civil war and clashes with separatists in neighbouring Senegal - as well as numerous coups d’état. In recent years it has also become a key transit point for international drug smugglers, which has contributed to the hardship faced by many of Guinea Bissau’s two million inhabitants.

However, there is hope for the future, with major international donors committing more than a billion euros in funding after the holding of successful elections last year - and as the work of our new Local Correspondent Tomas Serna demonstrates, there are excellent groups working to address national issues with a local perspective.

Tomas has so far researched profiles of ten local peacebuilding organisations in Guinea-Bissau. They include Voz di Paz, which works with a network of community radio stations, the Forum dos Regulos, which harnesses the strength and legitimacy of traditional dispute resolution methods, and Casa Dos Dereitos, a human rights organisation based in a former prison which brings together different civil society organisations.

In addition to the international NGOs and the EU’s IcSP-funded projects in Guinea-Bissau, this means there is a wide range of peacebuilding work taking place in Guinea-Bissau. We look forward to expanding our coverage of it.