Prosecutors threaten to join judges' strike

Guinea-Bissau's prosecutors say they plan to go on strike on 1 October in solidarity with the country's judges unless the government of President Kumba Yala accedes to the latter's demand for the reinstatement of dismissed colleagues, a source close to the judiciary told IRIN on Thursday. The prosecutors' decision came at a meeting they held on Wednesday. Judges began a 30-day strike on Tuesday to pressure Yala into revoking the dismissal of four members of the Supreme Court, including its president and vice president. The judges say the dismissals are null and void since the body mandated by the constitution to appoint or dismiss Supreme Court judges is the Higher Council of the Magistrature while the president's role is limited to swearing them in.