Deeply concerned, Guinea Bissau partners call on political actors for moderation

The five international organizations, partners in the peacebuilding process in Guinea-Bissau, known as the P5 - African Union (AU) group, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) , the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) - met on 15 March with President Vaz to express their concern and exchange with him some opinions on the political moment in the country.

21 Mar 2017

Deeply concerned, Guinea Bissau partners call on political actors for moderation

Speaking after the meeting, at the Presidency, Ovídeo Pequeno, AU representative, said that the partners are concerned about the verbal escalation on both sides, which warns "the international community will not tolerate." The P5 issued a statement stating that they have noted with concern the evolution of the political situation in the country, call for containment and reaffirm their support to the ECOWAS mediator, Alpha Conde, to whom they request the deployment of a high-level mission To Bissau.

In its communiqué, the P5 stresses that the political climate in Guinea-Bissau "is increasingly characterized by a rise in political and social tensions, as well as a verbal escalation by proxy, by political actors in a context of accusations and counter-accusations." “Disturbing” examples of this, they say, were the street demonstrations on 9 and 11 March 2017" sponsored by rival political forces and some recent statements by prominent members of the National Assembly or the Government. In this context, it is imperative to stop this spiral of tension before it degenerates into violence. "

P5 also called on all political actors in Guinea-Bissau to put the best interests of the nation at the center of their actions and called for moderation in their speech and to seek to resolve their differences in accordance with the law and "respect for their obligations arising from the agreement to resolve the crisis in Guinea-Bissau, signed in Bissau, September 10, 2016, and the Conakry Agreement signed on October 14, 2016. "

The partners also invited the President of the Republic, as guarantor of the institutions and of the Constitution, "to use all his moral authority" to ensure respect for institutions and resolution of disputes through dialogue and through legal ways.

In the same communiqué P5 also invites the President of the National People's Congress (ANP) as well as leaders of political parties represented at the ANP to "show responsibility and make their contribution to avoid escalating tension and to the effective restoration of dialogue and peace in the Policy in Guinea-Bissau. "

Guinea-Bissau's partners also recalled that the UN Security Council, the African Union Peace and Security Council and the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government "consider the Conakry agreements as the preferred framework for resolving the crisis in Guinea-Bissau, led by the ECOWAS mediator, His Excellency Professor Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea-Conakry, President of the African Union."

The P5 further states that it will continue to work for the "deployment in the shortest possible time" of the ECOWAS high-level monitoring mission as envisaged in the Conakry agreements and in line with the recommendations of the UN Security Council and the UN Security Council. Peace and Security of the African Union.

Finally, the partners reiterate their determination to continue to work "alongside the people of Guinea Bissau, the main victim of this crisis," to contribute to political and social stability, which is an indispensable condition for peace, democracy and sustainable socio-economic development.