Guinea Bissau

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. deeply worried by the coup d’état, which took place on 12 April, interrupting the early presidential electoral process, following the death of the president;

B.  whereas the candidates for the first round presidential election rejected the result, where ex-Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior from PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of guinea and Cape Verde) was a front runner;

C. whereas in 13 years none of the 6 elected Presidents have been able to finish their mandates;

D. whereas the military junta overthrown the interim president Raimundo Pereira, the Prime minister Carlos Gomes Junior and dissolved the parliament;

E.  takes note that a transition pact brokered by the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), has been signed by all parties less the PAIGC and that this Transition Agreement violates the constitution, gives legitimacy to the coup and contradicts the policy of ‘zero tolerance’ for coups set by ECOWAS;

F.  whereas the European Union, following UN’s resolution 2048, has imposed sanctions on the members of the junta;

G. taking into consideration the decision of ECOWAS to deploy a contingent of 500 to 600 men who should prepare the end of the Angolan mission;

H. whereas Guinea-Bissau’s decades of political instability led the country in deep crisis including lack of access to clean water, health, education and civil servants across many ministries face months of wage arrears;

I.   whereas the ‘Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries’, chaired by Angola, proposes the creation of a peacekeeping force under UN auspices, in agreement with ECOWAS, the African Union and the European Union;

J.   whereas the EU’s security sector reform mission in Guinea-Bissau (EU SSR Guinea-Bissau) has considered its mandate completed and left the country in September 2010;

K. whereas Guinea-Bissau is confronted with drug traffic and serves as major drugs transit point between South America and Europe and drug traffic constitutes a serious threat to the political stability of the country;

L.  whereas drug cartels with access to weapons, speedboats and planes have been able to secure cooperation from senior officials in the armed forces and government in one of the world’s poorest countries, whose main export is cashew nuts;

1.  Condemns the coup d’état, which has interrupted the electoral process;

2.  Urges the authorities to fully restore and guarantee fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and the press, freedom of assembly and association and freedom of movement; asks the end of the persecution and harassment of all deposed government officials and those who peacefully call for the restoration of the rule of law;

3.  Calls for the reestablishment of the constitutional inconformity with the constitution provisions and refuses to recognize any non-elected transitional institution;

4.  Condemns the fact that the Acting President and the Prime Minister were forced to leave the country;

5.  Asks the unconditional release of all political prisoners;

6.  Calls on all political parties to respect the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights including the right to life and physical integrity, freedom of association and freedom of assembly;

7.  Calls for the perpetrators of violations of human rights to be accountable for their acts, possibly before the ICC and that the perpetrators of violations of the constitutional order are brought to justice;

8.  Is concerned about the possibility of a humanitarian crisis in Guinea Bissau and calls on the EU, the UN and the AU, ECOWAS and the CPLP to coordinate efforts to prevent this eventuality, including to plan joint actions particularly in the health sector, including support for the main hospital Bissa, which lacks the necessary equipment to meet daily needs and which will not be able to respond to a crisis of public health enhanced by the rainy season approaching;

9.  Calls on political parties to reach a consensus on a comprehensive reform process as regard to the army, police, security sector and the justice system as a first step to political stability;

10. Calls on the commission to restate and strengthen the mandate of EU SSR in Guinea-Bissau;

11. Calls on the commission and the UN Peace building Support Office to take the necessary steps to combat drug trafficking and corruption, which are major destabilising factors of the country;

12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, European Commission, EU High Representative, the African Union and ECOWAS.