The government of Guinea-Bissau, a Portuguese-speaking country in West Africa, announced on Friday the expulsion of two Portuguese media outlets from the country, a decision immediately condemned by Lisbon.

He gave no explanation for this decision, which targets the Lusa news agency and the public television channel RTP, whose programs have been suspended.

Their representatives must leave the country before Tuesday, according to a note from the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Foreign Affairs consulted by AFP.

Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who was due to travel to Lisbon on Monday for a ceremony marking his term as rotating president of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), will not be attending, according to the Guinean branch of the CPLP.

"In the context of bilateral relations, such a decision seems highly reprehensible and unjustifiable," reacted the Portuguese government, which condemned the announced expulsions.

He also said he had summoned the Guinea-Bissau ambassador on Saturday to explain the decision. Portugal "will do everything possible to reverse this decision," he said.

The expulsion "is a government decision," Guinea-Bissau Foreign Minister Carlos Pinto Pereira told reporters.

"We will explain the reasons for this decision at a press conference, probably tomorrow," he added. "We have received the Portuguese government's reactions. We will respond to them in an appropriate framework."

A former Portuguese colony, Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world. Known for its endemic corruption, it has experienced a succession of coups d'état since its independence in 1974.

Elected in December 2019 for a five-year term, Umaro Sissoco Embalo had promised he would run only once. But he ultimately postponed the election date until November of this year, sparking months of unrest.