Security Council welcomes agreement by Guineans to resolve differences peacefully

The Security Council today welcomed the joint declaration of non-violence signed last week in Conakry between the main Guinean stakeholders in which they committed themselves to resolve all differences exclusively through peaceful means.

In a statement issued to the press, the 15-member Council also welcomed the declaration by President Alpha Condé whereby he expressed his readiness to ensure the transparency and the credibility of the electoral process, and committed himself to accepting the results of the upcoming legislative elections.

In March, protests in the West African nation related to the polls led to several deaths and hundreds of injuries. At that time, both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN human rights office appealed for calm amid the violence and urged political actors in Guinea to pursue dialogue to create conditions for peaceful elections.

The Council, which was briefed last Thursday on the situation in Guinea by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, expressed its concern over the “volatile situation” in the country.

“The members of the Security Council deplored the violent incidents that occurred during the demonstrations in Conakry on 25 April 2013, which resulted in the death of one person and injured a number of others.”

Council members also expressed their strong support for the facilitation efforts led by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit, to resume the national political dialogue between the Government of Guinea and the opposition.

“They called upon all the parties to cooperate closely with him with a view to creating the conditions necessary for a national political dialogue conducive to the holding of free, fair, transparent and inclusive legislative elections in Guinea.”