The head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, inaugurated a street named after him in Bissau this Thursday, together with the President of Guinea, Humaro Sissoko Embalo, in the midst of the official celebration of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Guinea-Bissau.
Prime Minister António Costa attended this short inauguration ceremony together with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. When asked if this honor was deserved, he replied: “Yes, of course.”
The Rua Presidente Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa crosses the Avenida Amílcar Cabral, right in the center of the Guinean capital, where this Thursday morning the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of Guinea-Bissau is taking place.
When asked if he was proud to have a street named after him in Bissau, the Portuguese President replied that “Portugal is proud of its fraternal relations with Guinea-Bissau.”
Humaro Sissoko Embalo, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Antonio Costa walked together to the inauguration, where the ribbon was cut and the plaque was unveiled, and then returned to the podium on Avenida Amilcar Cabral.
The inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho, lasted about five minutes.
After this, the solemn act of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the independence of Guinea-Bissau resumed with an address by the President of Guinea to the people.
The celebration coincides with a political crisis in Portugal: the resignation of the prime minister and early legislative elections are scheduled for March 10, but the government is still in full force.
On the podium, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Antonio Costa are separated by six places for protocol reasons, and at the official dinner on Wednesday in Bissau they also remained at a distance, exchanging only a handshake.
Their walk together along the renamed Rua Presidente Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa marked the first time they had been side by side in public since Antonio Costa resigned nine days ago.
They are expected to return to Portugal today after a lunch hosted by the President of Guinea-Bissau at the Presidential Palace on separate flights.
Guinea-Bissau was the first Portuguese colony in Africa to gain independence. Independence was declared unilaterally on September 24, 1973, after a decade of armed struggle.
The United Nations immediately recognized the independence of Guinea-Bissau, and Portugal only a year later, in September 1974, after April 25.