OPINION: (By Mark-Anthony Johnson) African leaders gathered in Guinea-Bissau to celebrate 50th independence anniversary: Guinea-Bissau on Thursday celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence, as well as the 50th anniversary of the founding of the country’s armed forces.

The event, marked by a civil and military parade, was attended by several heads of state, including leaders from Nigeria, Congo, SierraLeone, the Comoros, Gambia and former colonisers Portugal.

The dual-anniversary also honoured the birth 100 years ago of independence hero Amilcar Cabral, who is celebrated in both GuineaBissau and CapeVerde. Cabral died in 1973, months before Guinea-Bissau’s declaration of independence on September 24 that year.

In his address, President UmaruSissoco paid tribute to all those “who have contributed to the country’s independence”.

“Today, I joined President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau and other world leaders to commemorate the country’s 50th Independence in Bissau.

Nigeria remains committed to supporting peace and democracy not only in Guinea Bissau, but the rest of WestAfrica, and the world.” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria 🇳🇬

Country overview:

Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest and most fragile countries, has a population of about 1.9 million. Guinea-Bissau borders Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south, and it’s AtlanticOcean coast is composed of the Bijagós archipelago, with more than 100 islands. Despite its size, Guinea-Bissau is host to a large variety of ethnic groups, languages, and religions.

Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼 is an AfCFTA member country