Guinea-Bissau’s Interior Ministry says hooded robbers, not police, broke into the Bissau home of former minister Soares Sambú overnight on 8 to 9 November 2026. At a briefing on Tuesday 10 November, spokesperson Agostinho Tunecas Djata rejected claims that security forces had searched the house for weapons.
Sambú is national vice-coordinator of the Movement for Democratic Alternation (MADEM-G15), a Bissau-Guinean political party. The party describes an armed, hooded group that overpowered his guards and stayed inside for more than an hour.
The Interior Ministry calls it a robbery and the party calls it an armed intrusion. No one has been named as responsible.
What the Interior Ministry Says
Agostinho Tunecas Djata, a police superintendent and spokesperson of the Interior Ministry, said no security force was involved. He said a group of hooded men overpowered the guards, entered the house in the Enterramento neighbourhood of Bissau and took a safe belonging to the family.
The ministry said the intruders’ aim was to seize family property, and that, according to the owner, the safe held only family documents, including diplomas, and no money. It said five people were seen inside the house, but the total number is unknown because others may have stayed outside.
The ministry blamed “incorrect interpretations” circulating after the robbery for the claim that police had carried out an operation. It said investigations are continuing.
A monument in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, file photo, undated.What the Party Says
MADEM-G15 said in a statement reported on 10 November that about six heavily armed, hooded men took part in the intrusion. It said they overpowered the guards and personal security staff before forcing entry.
The party said the men stayed more than an hour and caused panic among the family. It asked the judicial authorities to identify those responsible and any masterminds, establish the motive and hold them criminally accountable.
Who Soares Sambú Is
The ministry described Sambú as a former Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration and a former adviser to ex-president Umaro Sissoco Embaló, whom the army removed in November 2025. The party lists him among its senior leaders.
Guinea-Bissau, a small West African state, has been run by a military-led transition since the army seized power in November 2025. Our explainer on Guinea-Bissau and its neighbours sets out the background.
What This Means for You
Neither account mentions any risk to foreign visitors or a US link. It matters to readers who follow West African politics because the transitional authorities and a party he helps lead describe the same night as a robbery and as an armed intrusion.
A credible investigation would show whether the authorities can handle a sensitive case involving a prominent politician. Related coverage includes our report on a human rights league’s call for detainees to be freed and the new murder probe into a rapper’s killing.
What Is Not Known
The identity of the intruders is unknown, and no arrests have been reported. In the account reported, the ministry did not say who first claimed that police were involved, and the party’s statement as published does not say whether anything was taken.
Both accounts come from a single local outlet’s reports of the statements, and we found no independent confirmation, so they are reported, not confirmed. That leaves the competing versions of the night unresolved.
What to Watch Next
The first checkpoint is whether the police announce suspects or the prosecutor opens a case, since the ministry says investigations continue. The second is whether MADEM-G15 formally files a complaint, as it has asked the judicial authorities to act.
Readers can follow the wider picture in our Guinea-Bissau coverage. We will report any official findings once they are published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Soares Sambú?
He is a former Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration and a former adviser to ex-president Umaro Sissoco Embaló, according to the Interior Ministry. He is also national vice-coordinator of the party MADEM-G15.
What did the Interior Ministry say about the incident?
It denied any security-force involvement and said hooded robbers took a family safe. It said the owner reported the safe held only family documents, no money.
Has anyone been arrested?
No arrests have been reported. The ministry says investigations are continuing.
Sources: briefing by Superintendent Agostinho Tunecas Djata, spokesperson of Guinea-Bissau’s Interior Ministry, 10 November 2026; statement of the party MADEM-G15, reported 10 November 2026. Both are taken from a single local Portuguese-language outlet’s reports of the statements; the originals could not be read and no independent confirmation was found.