Ahead of polls in Guinea, UN Peacebuilding Commission commends progress made

The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission has called on all politicians and leaders in Guinea to honour their commitments and hold secure and peaceful legislative elections next week.

In a statement released last night, the Peacebuilding Commission’s Guinea configuration congratulated the Government and people of Guinea for the “important progress made on the road to the consolidation of democracy, stability and peace”, particularly given a wave of opposition protests in March that led to several death and hundreds of injuries.

The Commission called on all political stakeholders and leaders to take their responsibilities seriously and to honour their commitments, notably as stipulated in the agreement on the preparation and organization of the 24 September legislative elections.

The agreement was signed on 3 July in Conakry, the country’s capital, at the end of the UN-mediated inter-Guinean political dialogue that was launched on 28 March.

At the time, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the development as a “breakthrough”, and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), with the support of international bilateral and multilateral partners, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the UN, to do its utmost to implement the electoral timeline.

In yesterday’s statement, the Commission said that it trusts polls will be “inclusive, free, transparent and peaceful, and in keeping with the rule of law”.

The Configuration welcomed the election observation efforts and the efforts to support social peace, especially efforts by Guinean civil society and its partners, as well as international partners.

It also assured the Government and the people that it stands ready to continue supporting the country beyond the elections.

Guinea is one of six countries, along with Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone, currently on the agenda of the Commission, which was set up in 2005 to help countries emerging from conflict make an irreversible transition from war to sustainable peace.