|
|
| AU slams travel ban on Guinea military rulers, freezes assets
|
|
|
| |
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) -
The African Union (AU) Saturday announced a wide
range of sanctions, including travel bans and assets freezing, against Guineaâ?s
military rulers, a senior AU official said here.
Ramtane Lamamra, the AU Peace and Security Commissioner, said the travel bans an
d assets freezing decision followed the refusal of the military rulers in Guinea
to restore constitutional order to the West African country.
"Africa has implemented sanctions against several dozen people in Guinea who are
opposed to a return to constitutional order," Lamamra said at a press conferenc
e
he held on the sidelines of the almost one week of the Madagascar crisis talks
w
hich ended Saturday.
AU has, therefore, called member states, the UN and the European Union (EU) to i
mplement the decisions, according to him.
"The list [of sanctioned Guinean rulers] has been sent to AU member states, to t
he UN Security Council and to the EU so that we can harmonize our positions and
t
ake appropriate measures," he said.
The AU Peace and Security Commission, the second most powerful decision-making o
rgan of the continental organization, wants to use the measures to send a signal
that it doesnâ?t tolerate â?unconstitutional change of governmentâ?.
"The hand outstretched to Madagascar to help it return to constitutional order c
oincides with the implementation of sanctions on Guinea: on the same day Africa
i
s expressing its resistance to anti-constitutional changes of government,â? the
Commissioner stated, adding â?Democracy must be promoted everywhere."
The sanctions include travel bans and freezing of assets owned by the countryâ?
s junta leaders.
The sanctions came after the 28 September killings by the troops who fired on pr
otesters staging a rally at the Conakry stadium to request military leader, Capt
a
in Moussa Dadis Camara, not to run in presidential elections scheduled for Janua
r
y, 2010.
Camara wants to contest in the elections, but AU says it is against his earlier
commitment not to do so, and rebuffs demands from the international community th
a
t he should not run.
Over 150 people were killed in the shooting by security forces against unarmed c
ivilians, according to AU and the UN.
Senior EU official earlier described the killings as â?tantamount to crime agai
nst humanityâ?.
The military rulers claimed that only 56 people died and 934 wounded.
The UN is considering to investigate the massacre while the International Crimin
al Court (ICC) said it would hold a separate preliminary inquiry to determine if
war crimes were committed.
In addition to the AU and the Economic Community of West Africa State African (E
COWAS), which suspended Guinea from the groupings, the US and the EU have impose
d
sanctions on the junta. ECOWAS has also imposed an arms embargo.
Camara seized power in the mineral-rich west African state on 23 December,2008,
a few hours after the death of Guinea's long-serving ruler, Lansana Conte.
|
| |
| Addis Ababa - 07/11/2009 |
| |
|
|