Guinea-Bissau

One of the smallest and poorest West African nations, Guinea-Bissau is the only former Portuguese colony without Christianity as its majority religion. The majority of the population practice traditional, indigenous religion, while Islam also has a very strong presence in this country. Some sources assert that Islam has become the majority religion, but a lack of authoritative statistics makes that claim questionable; what is certain is that Muslim communities have increased dramatically during the end of the 20th century and continue to grow into the 21st century, mostly through the Fulani and Malinké ethnic groups, which constitute approximately 30% of the population. While approximately 50% of the populace engage in traditional religion exclusively, around 45% adhere to Islam (nearly all Sunnī), with roughly 5% of the country belonging to Christian communities, mostly Catholic, with some Protestant groups as well. Christianity is concentrated mostly in the capital of Bissau, whereas Islam reigns especially in the north and northeast of the country, and traditional beliefs dominate in the coastal and central regions.

Ethnic identity has not played a large role in national unity, but tribal attachment is evident in many life cycle rituals that still mark the lives of Guineans (“-Bissau” was added to distinguish the country from its southern neighbor). The indigenous religions practiced by many citizens are largely animist in nature, and reverence for ancestors is ubiquitous throughout Guinea-Bissau. Most households contain shrines to forebears, and villages are likely to have shrines to guardian spirits that are at the center of religious festivals. Spirit possessions during festivals are common, and sacrifices of alcohol, food, and animals are made publicly to avert misfortune. The tenacity of these beliefs can also be seen in the heavy syncretism evident in national varieties of Islam and Christianity.

Following the establishment of the slave trade on the coast of Africa, the Portuguese colonizers exploited tribal tensions by promoting intertribal raids to supply slaves for trade. After the slave trade was abolished, economic and political chaos ensued, fueled by Muslim factions struggling for power and coming into contact with European coastal groups. Islam initially entered Guinea-Bissau likely through the Fulani ethnic group coming out of Guinea—a group that would dominate the countryside for much of the 19th century. The Portuguese were able to wrest control of the area by manipulating schisms in Muslim leadership and aligning with the Fula community under Abdulai Injai. After the alliance had served its purpose, the Portuguese turned on the Fulas and decimated their once partner group. The Portuguese controlled the area as well as the islands of Cape Verde until the 1960s, when challenges coming from African nationalists under Amilcar Cabral [Page 490]began the road to Guinea-Bissau's independence. That independence came in 1974, and the leaders of the revolution that brought it about are still celebrated and enjoy leadership positions in the 21st century. (Interestingly, it is estimated that in the year 2010 more than half of Guinea-Bissau's population was born after the 1974 revolution.)

Poverty is the greatest problem plaguing Guinea-Bissau at the beginning of the 21st century. Efforts to liberalize the economy have resulted in widening the gap between government officials and citizens, a gap that spans all ethnicities and religions. Ongoing coups have split the allegiance of the military and resulted in growing animosity to the perceived riches of Cape Verdeans, who were almost incorporated into the country. Civil unrest in 2010 has led to more concerns of increased drug trade and corruption. Christian missionaries are still active in the country but with unspectacular results. Christian aid during times of unrest may result in a greater number of adherents, but demographic changes at the time of this writing are mostly in the direction of increasing conversion to Islam.

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