Africa-Press – Eritrea. The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) has urged the Olympic Committee of Guinea-Bissau to end government interference in the elections of that sports organisation, according to a note seen by Lusa on Wednesday.
The ANOCA document, addressed to the outgoing president of the Guinea-Bissau Olympic Committee, Sérgio Mané, also urges the parties to work to ensure that the elections, which were interrupted by the government on 5 July, take place as soon as possible.
On the orders of the authorities, a contingent of the Public Order Police (POP) entered the Olympic Committee’s premises in Bissau, forcing the interruption of the election that was to pit Eugénio de Oliveira Lopes, secretary general of the outgoing board, against Fernando Arlete, a former Olympic athlete.
“We have been informed of a worrying situation at your National Olympic Committee following the interruption of your elective General Assembly, which was scheduled for 5 July 2025, by decision of the government authorities,” reads the ANOCA note.
In the document addressed to Sérgio Mané, the African Olympic organisation considers the authorities’ action “regrettable and a clear interference”, which is contrary to the Olympic Charter and the fundamental principle of the Olympic Movement, which is based on autonomy.
Sources close to the process told Lusa that since 5 July, members of the Public Order Police have remained at the Olympic Committee’s premises in Bissau.
ANOC has announced that it is aware of ‘positive and constructive talks’ underway between the authorities to ‘quickly rectify’ the situation, but urges the Guinea-Bissau Olympic Committee to ‘do everything’ to ensure that the four-yearly elections take place in the near future, “without any kind of interference”.
In its note, ANOCA urges the Guinea-Bissau Olympic Committee to allow all federations to participate in the elective general assembly, provided they have been recognised by their respective international sports federations.
Fourteen federations are due to take part in the elections, namely athletics, handball, basketball, wrestling, canoeing, judo, tennis, volleyball, table tennis, cycling, water sports, football, taekwondo and winter sports.
Sources linked to the electoral process explained to Lusa that one of the parties complained to the Government about the possibility that some federations, whose leaderships have expired or whose sports are not practised in the country, could participate in the electoral process, which they consider illegal.
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