Guinea-Bissau: Ban calls for proper transfer of power after leader’s death
Mr. Sanhá, 64, died earlier today in Paris, where he had been receiving medical treatment, according to media reports.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban voiced deep sadness at the President’s death and offered his condolences to Mr. Sanhá’s family and to the people of Guinea-Bissau.
“He pays tribute to President Sanhá’s leadership in guiding Guinea-Bissau, at a particularly difficult time in its history,” the statement noted.
Guinea-Bissau has been beset by coups, misrule and political instability since it gained independence from Portugal in the early 1970s, and late last month a group of military officers attacked the national army headquarters in an unsuccessful attempt to seize weapons.
“The Secretary-General trusts that the succession arrangements provided for in the constitution of Guinea-Bissau will be fully respected,” the statement stressed, adding that the UN stands ready to support the country’s people and authorities.
The UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) has been in place since 2009 and is tasked with helping to restore stability to the troubled country.