February 6, Bissau - On the 80th anniversary of Bob Marley’s birthday, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Guinea Bissau today approved the citizenship of ten more Afro Descendants of Balanta, Fula and Djola origin. All the new citizens took the African Ancestry dna test and applied for their citizenship through the Decade of Return program that was created by the Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America (BBHAGSIA). This is the second the second group to receive their citizenship, the first group having received theirs on Januray 16.

“This is not just an important day for the ten new citizens, it is an important day for the African Diaspora,” said BBHAGSIA President Siphiwe Baleka.

“Some countries require residency and investment, or membership in a particular organization in order to obtain citizenship. Guinea Bissau is simply recognizing the right to return of the people of Guinea origin who were taken as prisoners of war, trafficked, and enslaved in America. It is the model for all African countries to follow.”

After completing the application provided by BBHAGSIA and submitting the required documents (which BBHAGSIA translated into Portuguese as part of the $25 application processing fee, applicates paid approximately $650, which is half of the normal amount for foreigners seeking naturalization. The government is considering reducing the fee completely.

No definite date has been set for the citizenship ceremony, but organizers are looking at November to give everyone enough time to make arrangements.

“We are getting bombarded by requests for information on the process, which we are updating now to reflect the current situation in Guinea Bissau. Once we have agreed on a new procedure, we will make an announcement and re-open the naturalization process,” President Baleka explained.

Inqueries can be made to balantasociety@gmail.com