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This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the challenges facing the justice system in Guinea-Bissau, highlighting a history of impunity and the failure to implement key reforms due to political instability. It advocates for the relaunch of the 2015–2019 Justice Reform Programme and constitutional changes to ensure judicial independence and improve access to justice for the population.

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.

This policy brief analyzes the impact of April 2013 US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) indictments against high-ranking Guinea-Bissau officials, arguing that while the move challenges a long-standing culture of impunity, it risks triggering further instability if not accompanied by a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the national criminal justice system.