22 February 2013 - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Guinea-Bissau, José Ramos-Horta, paid a courtesy visit today to the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Antonio Injai, at the military headquarters, Amura Fort, in Bissau. During the visit, which lasted more than 90 minutes, Ramos-Horta had a meeting with Gen. Indjai, who gave him a tour of the barracks within the Amura Fort compound and of the General Staff's kitchen, thus providing him with an opportunity to see the degradation of the infrastructure there. On leaving Amura, Mr. Ramos-Horta fielded questions from the media.

Transcript of question-and-answer session with journalists at Amura Fort

Journalist: Mr. Ramos-Horta, what was the objective of your meeting with Gen. Antonio Indjai?

José Ramos-Horta (JRH) - I visited the barracks, which you know well, and which you saw, just as I did. As a human being, it broke my heart to see the conditions in which the military, officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau live. How is it possible that soldiers who defend this country, veterans of the struggle who liberated this country, live in these conditions forty years after? As a human being I am extremely sad. I cannot promise much, but I shall do everything, together with friendly countries, to have someone finally rehabilitate the military barracks as a priority measure. Because we do not have much moral authority to criticise them if the rulers of Guinea-Bissau, if the international community do not manage to provide the military of this country with a life of dignity to begin with.

Secondly, I came here to hear from the generals of the armed forces of Guinea-Bissau their views on conditions for the reorganisation of the armed forces. The Chief of Staff, all of them, agree on the absolute priority of rehabilitating the barracks, in-depth reform of the armed forces - that should be called "modernization of the armed forces - and only afterwards can we speak of the recruitment of new members of the military. I agree totally with what they are demanding, rehabilitation - reform - recruitment, the three r's.

Journalist: What is required before the armed forces can be modernised?

JRH - The restoration of constitutional order, which requires elections to be held. The elections cannot be held with excessive haste. We know the story of elections, elections are extremely important and, because they are, they have to be organised with time and care. We can already begin with an effort to rehabilitate the barracks, an effort to reform and modernise the armed forces, so that things can go in tandem.

I am still in dialogue with the political parties, to hear from them a consensus with regard to the holding of the elections. The neighbouring countries - ECOWAS -, the African Union, are all waiting for the political leaders of Guinea-Bissau to arrive at a consensus on the roadmap, the political calendar for the holding of the polls, but there is also a need to have a vision, a strategy, for the period after the elections.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the meeting with the Military High Command. They have confidence in the United Nations and the United Nations are going to work with them, as with the government, politicians and international community, so that Guinea-Bissau can emerge from this almost permanent crisis of the past twenty years.

Journalist - After listening to the military, what message did you leave them?

JRH - It's not the competency of the military because they are not part of the justice sector, but the message I left with the Council of Ministers, I left with the military chiefs: that the people of this country are such a peaceful people. In such a peaceful country, I would not like to see a single Guinea-Bissauan, a single citizen of this country, in prison, in fear, without formal charges. I prefer everyone linked to the political crisis of April [2012] and after, to be either tried quickly or simply freed.

Journalist - Speaking of general elections, when do you see that happening?

JRH - The UN does not yet have any preferences, any opinions on the matter because it is up to the political authorities to present a roadmap, which we shall then study with ECOWAS, the African Union, CPLP, European Union, and give our opinion on when the election should be held. We are not going to say when they have to be held, but some of Guinea-Bissau's partners prefer them to be held this year, that is, in November or December this year. The UN has not yet adopted a position on this matter. We are still studying it and waiting for the roadmap which will come from the National Assembly of Guinea-Bissau, the only competent and legal body which, having sounded out all concerned, can make a final proposal."