Sao Tome, Jan. 9, 2026 (Lusa) - The Sao Tome government announced on Thursday that it had informed parliament about the presence of a Russian ship in Sao Tome, rejecting criticism from the Independent Democratic Action party, which accused the government and the country's president of "acting outside the law".

According to a statement published on the government's website, "the National Assembly received the proposed resolution, and the National Assembly services contacted the government services to request additional information, precisely with the aim of moving forward with approval for subsequent ratification in plenary".

However, the government states that "the National Assembly granted itself a day off and closed its services on 31 December 2025, without following up on the process, a fact that was not communicated to the government".

"Given that the National Assembly [had] been informed of the ship's arrival date, and there had been no communication to the contrary, it is assumed that the process continued as usual, as has been the practice in similar cases," the statement reads.

On Monday, the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party of former Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada accused the president and the government of Sao Tome of allowing the entry and transhipment of goods from a Russian warship in Sao Tome, without the knowledge of parliament, "in an operation coordinated by the president's advisor on defence and security"

The document signed by the party's secretary-general, Elísio Teixeira, who is chairman of a specialised committee of parliament, stresses that "this act of flagrant violation of the Constitution demonstrates once again the ability of the current government and the president to act outside the law and in violation of the Constitution, in a clear dictatorial stance".

"The ADI expects the Bureau of the National Assembly to request from the government all information relating to the ship in question, as well as to hold, as a matter of urgency, a hearing with the prime minister and the defence minister," the statement reads.

In its statement on Thursday, the government stated that the technical-military cooperation agreement with Russia was signed in St Petersburg (Russia) on 24 April 2024 by the government of former prime minister Patrice Trovoada, and approved by the National Assembly in 2025 with the participation of all political parties.

Article 3 of the same Agreement defines the objectives and scope of cooperation, choosing the exchange of experiences in various areas of defence and security and the supply of defence equipment and materials as areas of technical-military cooperation, including visits and working meetings in the territory and/or facilities of Sao Tome and Príncipe or the Russian Federation and visits by warships," it reads.

In the statement, the government "calls for greater rigour and responsibility in dealing with matters of state and in respecting the commitments made by the state in the context of cooperation with its bilateral and multilateral partners."

Questioned by the press after the New Year's greetings ceremony to President Carlos Vila Nova, Prime Minister Américo Ramos called for calm and said that the government would know how to deal normally with the attitude of "those who do not want the government to succeed."

According to the Ministry of Defence and Internal Order, Russia's "amphibious assault ship Alexander Otrakovskiy" was in the country from 3 to 5 January on a "working visit" and "provided technical and military support to the Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Príncipe".

"The Russian delegation was warmly welcomed in the spirit of historic friendship" and held a meeting with the Minister of Defence and Internal Order, Horácio de Sousa, "where the mutual desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation was reiterated," he added.

Since the resignation of the government led by ADI president and former prime minister Patrice Trovoada in January 2025, the ADI leadership has distanced itself from the actions of the current government, whose prime minister, Américo Ramos, former secretary-general of the party, was chosen by the President of the Republic, Carlos Vila Nova, against the leadership of this political formation.

JYAF/ADB // ADB.

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