La fin de l’impunité ?

This policy brief examines the implications of a 2013 US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation that targeted high-level cocaine traffickers in Guinea-Bissau, specifically former navy chief José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto and army chief António Indjai. While the operation signaled an end to institutional impunity, the authors argue that without a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the national justice system and ensure democratic transitions, the shift in power dynamics could trigger further instability and military backlash.

• In April 2013, a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation led to the indictment of two prominent cocaine barons in Guinea-Bissau: former navy chief José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto and army chief António Indjai. Na Tchuto was accused of drug trafficking and attempting to purchase surface-to-air missiles and AK47 rifles with grenade launchers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
• The presence of cocaine trafficking has deeply destabilized Guinea-Bissau's political environment since the 1990s, contributing to a cycle of coups and political assassinations. Since 2000, the country has seen three presidents overthrown and one assassinated, with approximately ten unsolved political assassinations occurring in the three years prior to the report.
• The national justice system in Guinea-Bissau is severely dysfunctional, characterized by a lack of resources and institutional impunity for high-level criminals. For example, 674 kg of cocaine seized in 2006 disappeared from the Ministry of Finance's safe, and the Colombian nationals arrested with the shipment were released without explanation.
• The DEA's intervention has sparked nationalist resentment and military anger in Guinea-Bissau. Many citizens and soldiers view the arrest of Na Tchuto as a betrayal of a 'freedom fighter' and an affront to national sovereignty, as the legal proceedings took place outside the country's borders.
• The removal of key drug barons risks destabilizing a long-standing power balance based on ethnic and clan-based territorial control. The report identifies a 'warlord' system where specific leaders control different regions: Brigadier General Ibraima Papa Camará in Cacine, António Indjai in Oio, and Bubo Na Tchuto in the southern coastal region of Catio.
• To prevent a return to instability, the authors recommend establishing a proactive strategy to restore the national justice system. Suggestions include creating an international mechanism to ensure the integrity of criminal proceedings, negotiating a regional agreement within ECOWAS for extraterritorial courts, or adopting a model similar to the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).

APA

Reitano, T., & Shaw, M. (2013). La fin de l’impunité ? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief44-FR.pdf

Chicago

Reitano, Tuesday, and Mark Shaw. La fin de l’impunité ? Institute for Security Studies, 2013. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief44-FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reitano |first1=Tuesday |last2=Shaw |first2=Mark |title=La fin de l’impunité ? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=July 2013 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief44-FR.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reitano2013fin, author = {Reitano, Tuesday and Shaw, Mark}, title = {{La fin de l’impunité ?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2013}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief44-FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }