AU Urges Int’l Support for Guinea-Bissau’s Efforts to Ensure Stability

The AU on Tuesday called on international and continental partners to continue supporting Guinea-Bissau’s efforts to ensure national stability and development.

“The council appealed to all partners to continue to support Guinea-Bissau at this critical juncture, when the country is deploying efforts to ensure stability and development.

“And also to bring to an end, the scourge of drug trafficking, promote democratic governance and rule of law,’’ an AU statement read.

The council welcomed the successful holding of a peaceful first round of presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau on Nov. 24 and the presidential run-off on Dec. 29.

The council also underscored that the elections “have been declared free, fair and credible by all international observer missions,’’ including the AU Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) in Guinea-Bissau.

It also called on the Supreme Court of Guinea-Bissau “to fully play its constitutional role in this electoral process, with the required due diligence.

“And also with the urgency it deserves given its importance for the maintenance of peace, security and stability in Guinea-Bissau.

“The elections have been declared free, fair and credible by all African and international election observers’’.

It also stressed that “the holding of the presidential elections is a significant step towards the peaceful resolution of the political crisis in that country’’.

It appealed to all political stakeholders to allow the legal process to be finalised through the normal and existing legal channels of the country.