For the last two decades, Guinea-Bissau has experienced major political turmoil, with successive coups and recurrent confrontations between political authorities and the military and within the political sphere. State dysfunctionality has a strong negative impact on the country’s society at large, as well as on international support to civil society, inhibiting sustainable peacebuilding and development. In 2007, Interpeace set up a peacebuilding programme in collaboration with a local partner, Voz di Paz. Through a national consultation process, Voz di Paz engaged over 6,000 Bissau-Guineans to identify the main obstacles to lasting peace in the country. Bissau-Guineans identified the lack of effective state institutions, political and institutional instability, poor administration of justice, social exclusion and a weak culture of dialogue as some of the root causes of conflict. As a result of this foundational study, the programme currently works in two main axes: conflict prevention and resolution and good governance.
Interpeace’s Programme in Guinea Bissau, implemented with its local partner Voz di Paz, aims to foster a more inclusive and trusted social contract for a peaceful society. The programme is built on three key pillars guiding its activities: Inclusive Basic Services, by improving access to quality services through better coordination and a shared understanding of barriers and solutions; Conflict Prevention & Management, by strengthening local conflict prevention and resolution through effective policies and capacity building; and Accountability, by fostering citizen engagement, institutional responsiveness, and dialogue, with a particular focus on youth participation.
Interpeace partners with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to improve health sector governance through dialogue and collaboration between authorities, health professionals, and citizens. Interpeace also works with youth organisations to review the 2015 National Youth Policy and support youth-led advocacy at the national and regional levels. Interpeace also promotes peaceful land governance by supporting inclusive and intergenerational dialogue.
In 2024, Interpeace and its partners engaged 4,784 people across its four main projects, including 2,342 women and 943 youth. This involved supporting 14 local peace infrastructures that addressed a total of 367 conflicts. All four projects entailed working with security actors, and Interpeace supported 17 activities with this target group.