Secretary-General Welcomes New Political Dialogue as ‘Crucial First Step’ to End Guinea-Bissau Crisis, Urging Constructive Talks in Coming Days

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the start of an inclusive dialogue among political leaders, civil society and religious communities of Guinea-Bissau today in Guinea.  The dialogue is the crucial first step in implementing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) road map to end the political crisis, which political leaders agreed to in Bissau on 10 September 2016.

The Secretary-General thanks the ECOWAS Mediator for Guinea-Bissau, Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea, for hosting the parties and leading the regional effort to swiftly implement the road map.  He further encourages all parties to engage in constructive discussions and seize this opportunity for a favourable outcome in the interest of the people of Guinea-Bissau.  He calls on all parties to jointly achieve decisive progress within the coming days, in order to break the political impasse that has prevailed in the country since August 2015.

The Secretary-General has requested his Special Representative in Guinea-Bissau and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), Medico I. Tour, to continue to work closely with all stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau.  This he will do in close collaboration with ECOWAS, the African Union and other key partners, including the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and the European Union as they work towards political stability in Guinea-Bissau.