A lawmaker in Guinea-Bissau has been arrested in connection with an alleged “mystic ceremony” involving sacrifices intended to bolster the chances of a successful coup, according to a security source.
Flavio Batica Ferreira, a dual Bissau-Guinean and French national, was detained near the border with Guinea-Conakry along with a proclaimed Muslim seer and two others.
While authorities claim the arrest is linked to coup plot rumors and ritualistic practices, a human rights advocate suggests the motive is political.
Abubacar Ture of the Bissau-Guinean Human Rights League stated that Ferreira had previously reported threats to his safety.
The Interior Ministry has not yet commented on the arrest.
The arrest comes amidst a tense political climate in Guinea-Bissau.
Ferreira’s party, the PAIGC, is locked in a dispute with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo over the length of his presidential term.
Embalo recently dissolved parliament and postponed elections indefinitely, further fueling political instability in the country.
Guinea-Bissau has a history of coups since gaining independence in 1973.