Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1126th meeting, held on 12 December 2022, on an Updated Briefing on the Situation in Guinea Bissau:
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling all its previous pronouncements and decisions on the situation in Guinea Bissau, particularly Press Statement [PSC/PR/BR (CMV)] adopted at its 905th meeting held on 27 January 2020 and Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.(DCCCLV)] adopted at its 855th meeting held on 11 June 2019, as well as the Press Release of the Chairperson of the Commission issued on 1 February 2022;
Noting the opening statement by H.E. Ambassador Victor Adeleke, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the AU and Chairperson of the PSC for the month of December 2022; the introductory statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and the briefing by H.E. Ambassador Ovidio Barboso Pequeno, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission for Guinea Bissau; also noting the statements by Representatives of the Republic of Guinea Bissau to the AU, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations;
Reaffirming the solidarity of the AU with the Government and people of Guinea Bissau in their legitimate aspiration for political stability, durable peace and prosperity; and
Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:
1. Expresses deep concern over the lack of significant progress in addressing the political challenges in Guinea Bissau, including the failure to organize the legislative elections which were scheduled to take place on 18 December 2022; and, in this regard, encourages the Guinea Bissau authorities to urgently initiate consultations with relevant stakeholders, with a view to addressing all outstanding issues, including the challenges relating to the composition of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), holding of a National Census and the compilation of a voters’ register; and requests the AU Commission, working closely with ECOWAS and the UN, to closely monitor the evolving situation in Guinea Bissau, including supporting the organization of the delayed legislative elections;
2. Encourages the Guinea Bissau authorities to redouble their efforts and to act more proactively to create an enabling environment for all political actors to carry out their activities peacefully and in a manner that facilitates the normal functioning of Government institutions;
3. Strongly condemns the attempted coup d’état of 1st February 2022 which has further complicated the situation in the country; reaffirms the African Union’s zero tolerance policy on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Member States and urges the armed forces of Guinea Bissau to stay in their barracks, uphold their constitutional mandate and refrain from meddling in the political affairs of the country;
4. Encourages the Guinea Bissau authorities to redouble their efforts to comprehensively address the fundamental root causes of the recurrent institutional challenges facing the country and to strengthen the capacity of State institutions to enable them to deliver on their respective mandates;
5. Commends ECOWAS for its sustained efforts in Guinea Bissau, including the deployment of the ECOWAS Stabilization Mission in Guinea Bissau (ECOMIB), as well as the leadership of the countries of the region, particularly the ECOMIB troop contributing countries; and appeals for sustained and predictable support to be mobilized for the Mission to enable it to effectively discharge its mandate;
6. Also commends the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Cape Verde and the UN for supporting the just-concluded Economic Forum for Guinea Bissau, as well as for the expression of interest to invest in the various sectors of the economy of Guinea Bissau; and appeals to other Member States and the rest of the international community to also consider doing same;
7. Further commends international partners, particularly the Group of five international organizations (P5), namely the AU, ECOWAS, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), EU and the UN, as well as Portugal, East Timor and the wider international community for their continuous support to the people of Guinea Bissau;
8. Expresses deep concern over the growing threat of organized crime, money laundering as well as human and drug trafficking, strongly condemns targeted political assassinations and other forms of human rights violations and crimes; encourages the Bissau authorities to further strengthen national institutions and legal frameworks in order to effectively address these scourges; and requests the AU Commission to work closely with the relevant UN agencies, ECOWAS, the AU Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) to continue to provide technical assistance as may be required;
9. Underscores the need for an inclusive, genuine and constructive dialogue among all Guinea Bissau stakeholders, as it is the only viable approach towards finding a consensual solution to the deep-rooted and perennial challenges facing the country;
10. Strongly urges all political actors in Guinea Bissau to exercise maximum restraint, desist from any acts that may aggravate the situation in the country, prioritize the supreme national interests of the country above any other considerations, uphold the country’s Constitution and to fully abide by their commitments spelt out in the Stability Pact;
11. Underscores the importance of the inclusion of women and the youth in all efforts aimed at addressing the institutional challenges facing Guinea Bissau.
12. Decides to urgently dispatch a high-level fact-finding mission to Guinea Bissau with a mandate to engage with all relevant stakeholders on possible solutions to the recurrent challenges, assess the country’s state of readiness for the legislative elections and to ascertain the required support in this regard;
13. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Source: African Union