ECOWAS says it is 'still willing to support' Guinea despite aborted mission

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Although a delegation of heads of state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was unable to travel to Guinea to hold talks with President Alpha Condé on the political situation there, the regional organization says it is available to support the country.

The goodwill mission, which was to have been led by Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou, was also to have had the presidents of Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Ghana. It was to bring a message of peace and solidarity to the Guinean people and government at an important time of the country, an ECOWAS statement said.

The mission of the Heads of State also to meet president Condé and to inquire from him the preparations for the legislative election and the referendum on the constitution scheduled for Sunday.

"Unfortunately, this mission had to be postponed due to certain commitments and constraints related to the electoral calendar of the President of the Republic of Guinea," the statement added.

With only a few days before the vote, due to the deleterious situation in Guinea, the ECOWAS Commission was asked not to deploy an election observation mission.

"The Commission remains always available to support Guinea and urges all parties to act in the ways direction of preserving peace and social cohesion," the statement said.

-0- PANA TNDD/JSG/BBA/MA 28Feb2020