Niamey hosts ECOWAS extraordinary summit on the Guinea-Bissau crisis
Niamey, Niger (PANA) - The Nigerien President, Mr. Issoufou Mahamadou, who is the current President of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Friday chaired the official opening ceremony of the extraordinary summit of this organization focused on the political situation of Guinea-Bissau.
During the one-day conference, West African leaders will review reports from a high-level ministerial committee, which visited Bissau on November 3, 2019, to assess the political situation of the country, as well as the progress on the implementation of the decisions taken at the 55th Summit of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held on June 29, 2019, in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Heads of State will thus "reflect on ways and means likely to provide support to Guinea-Bissau for the holding of peaceful, credible and transparent elections on November 24, 2019, in accordance with the provisions of the 2001 Additional Protocol of ECOWAS, on Democracy and Good Governance".
In his opening address, President Issoufou thanked the West African leaders whose participation in the summit "is a clear sign" of their commitment to ensure peace and stability in the subregion and their commitment to common values and standards adopted by ECOWAS.
"Guinea-Bissau, a member state of our Community, is currently experiencing a serious political and institutional crisis, with disastrous consequences for this country and for our subregion," said the Nigerien Head of State.
He stressed that "the summit must send to the protagonists a clear message that ECOWAS can not tolerate, for any reason whatsoever, the destabilization of a member state".
President Issoufou recalled that the ECOWAS Ministerial Follow-up Committee, dispatched on the spot, reacted with firmness in denouncing the political crisis and asked, on behalf of our organization, to continue the electoral process according to the agreed timetable .
During the Niamey meeting, the Ministerial Follow-up Committee will draw up a report of its assessment of the situation, which will "allow us to discuss it, to assess the various recommendations and to take the appropriate decisions with a view to quick exit from this crisis," President Issoufou said, noting that in" any event our summit should send the protagonists a clear message".
-0- PANA SA/BEH/KND/VAO 8Nov2019
