Bissau, Guinea Bissau - On June 10, 2021, the Council of Ministers of the Government of Guinea Bissau completed the naturalization process for Siphiwe Baleka, President of the Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America (BBHAGSIA). Mr. Baleka is the first Afrodescendant from the United States to become a naturalized citizen of Guinea Bissau through this Decade of Return process.
TO APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP, COMPLETE
THE NATURALIZATION APPLICATION
Siphiwe Baleka and Robert Bumpers with President Embalo of Guinea Bissau
Siphiwe Baleka receives his passport
Mr. Baleka also created the Decade of Return Initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism which began last month with five members of BBHAGSIA. Ten more members are currently in Guinea Bissau with Mr. Baleka and their citizenship is “in process”.
Guinea Bissau follows nations such as Ghana and Sierra Leone in recognizing Afrodescendant claims and granting citizenship to descendants that provide dna testing.
The next Decade of Return Event is being scheduled for November 2022. For information complete the form.
BBHAGSIA members with the Minister of Culture
Citizenship for Siphiwe Baleka was cleared legally on April 14, 2021 when the Minister of Justice Fernando Mendonca removed the legal barriers for Siphiwe Baleka’s citizenship. In ORDER N. * 10 / GMJ / 2021, The Minister of Justice stated,
“Considering the request submitted by the Secretary of State for Sports, through the letter received on 01/21/2021, it is addressed to the Honorable Prime Minister to intervene to expedite the granting of Guinean nationality by naturalization to the American citizen, Siphiwe Ka Baleka Bey El, invoking national interest. . . .
Thinking of being an individual who discovered that his ancestors are of Guinean origin through DNA tests carried out in the United States of America, on the one hand, and who intends to represent Guinea-Bissau in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, it gives interest national authority invoked by the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, on the other.
Considering the guidance given by the Honorable Prime Minister ordering the referral of the same process, on an urgent basis, to the Minister of Justice, for his opinion.
Having analyzed the legal provisions applied in this matter, in particular Article 18 of the Guinean Nationality Regulation, granting the Minister of Justice the power to authorize the waiver of presentation of any document that must instruct the application for nationality submitted by a foreigner, provided that there are no doubts about the verification of the requirements that this document is intended to prove.
Considering, furthermore, that the Government may grant Guinean nationality with exemption from the conditions of integration in Guinese society and residence for at least six years to all those who provide or are called upon to provide relevant services to the Guinean State in the national development process, under article 9, n. 3 of the Nationality Law.
The Minister of Justice determines the following:
And Mr. Siphiwe Ka Baleka Bey El, an American citizen who applied for the granting of Guinean nationality by naturalization, waived the need to present the following documents that should instruct this process: Residence Permit, Declaration of Conformity and Certificate of Residence issued by the Foreigners and Borders of Guinea-Bissau, Criminal Record issued by the Ministry of Justice, Declaration of Good Civic Behavior issued by the Municipal Chamber of Bissau, Declaration of Integration into the Guinean Society issued by the Directorate-General for Culture and Criminal record issued by the competent North American Authorities.
Also, and I exempt you from paying the fees listed in the current Table.
Fulfill yourself
Bissau, 04/14/2021
The Minister, Fernando Mendonca"
