Capitalize on Conakry Accord as Important First Step to Ending Institutional Crisis, Secretary-General Urges Political Stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau

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

The Secretary-General is following developments regarding the formation of a new Government in Guinea-Bissau closely, notably the decisions taken by President José Mário Vaz in this regard on 12 December 2016 and the statement by the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde of 13 December 2016, distancing itself from the new Cabinet.  He urges the Bissau-Guinean political stakeholders to demonstrate goodwill and a spirit of compromise to take advantage of the Conakry Accord of 14 October 2016 as an important first step in the implementation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) road map aimed at ending the political impasse and restoring institutional viability in Guinea-Bissau.

The Secretary-General encourages ECOWAS to continue to support the efforts of the Bissau-Guinean leaders towards this end.  He is looking forward to the pertinent decisions of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government at their Summit on 17 December 2016 in Abuja to facilitate full implementation of the Conakry Agreement.

His Special Representative in Guinea-Bissau and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, Modibo I. Touré, will continue working closely with all the stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau, in close collaboration with ECOWAS, the African Union and other key partners towards a definitive solution to the institutional crisis.