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UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned on Friday the Guinea-Bissau military coup that occurred just days after national elections, claiming that it gravely violates constitutional order and democratic principles.
Guterres urged all parties to respect the rule of law by immediately and unconditionally restoring constitutional order and releasing all detained officials, including political actors and opposition leaders. He further emphasized that “disputes must be resolved through peaceful and inclusive dialogue and legal avenues.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also echoed Guterres’ statement, expressing concerns over reported human rights violations, including restrictions on independent radio stations and internet access, and the use of force against peaceful protesters. He additionally highlighted the reports of arbitrary arrests and excessive use of force by the military, with at least 18 people detained. Most of these people are allegedly detained incommunicado.
African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf similarly condemned the military coup, reiterating the AU’s “zero tolerance” for unconstitutional changes of government. He also emphasized that the National Electoral Commission has the sole legal authority to proclaim election results. Likewise, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) denounced the coup and suspended Guinea-Bissau from the organization’s decision-making bodies until there is a full restoration of constitutional order.
The latest presidential election between then-incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias, in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau took place on November 23. Three days later, both Umaro and Fernando declared victory before the release of official results.
The military then announced on November 26 that they had taken “total control” of the country, just a day before the National Elections Commission was scheduled to release the results of the presidential election. The military said it intervened to stop electoral manipulation, without citing the source of the allegation.
Umaro was reportedly arrested at his presidential office ahead of the military announcement. On November 27, Major-General Horta Nta Na Man was sworn in as transitional president for a one-year term after the military formally removed Umaro from his position. The ousted President Umaro later arrived in Senegal, with Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko calling the military coup d’état a “sham”.
The latest military takeover in Guinea-Bissau reflects a broader pattern of regional instability since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1974. It follows previous coups that occurred or were attempted in 2012, 2022, and 2023.
Guinea-Bissau also ranks first among African countries in the cocaine trade. Experts argue that “the deep-rooted involvement of Guinea-Bissau’s political-military elite in this illicit market has been a critical factor driving Guinea-Bissau’s repeated cycles of political turmoil.” In his first inaugural speech, transitional President Horta justified the military takeover to save Guinean democracy from “narcotraffickers.”
Notably, under Article 4(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a coup d’état may be regarded as “an emergency that threatens the life of a nation,” and thus states can take measures derogating from their obligations under the ICCPR.
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Guterres urged all parties to respect the rule of law by immediately and unconditionally restoring constitutional order and releasing all detained officials, including political actors and opposition leaders. He further emphasized that “disputes must be resolved through peaceful and inclusive dialogue and legal avenues.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also echoed Guterres’ statement, expressing concerns over reported human rights violations, including restrictions on independent radio stations and internet access, and the use of force against peaceful protesters. He additionally highlighted the reports of arbitrary arrests and excessive use of force by the military, with at least 18 people detained. Most of these people are allegedly detained incommunicado.
African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf similarly condemned the military coup, reiterating the AU’s “zero tolerance” for unconstitutional changes of government. He also emphasized that the National Electoral Commission has the sole legal authority to proclaim election results. Likewise, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) denounced the coup and suspended Guinea-Bissau from the organization’s decision-making bodies until there is a full restoration of constitutional order.
The latest presidential election between then-incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias, in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau took place on November 23. Three days later, both Umaro and Fernando declared victory before the release of official results.
The military then announced on November 26 that they had taken “total control” of the country, just a day before the National Elections Commission was scheduled to release the results of the presidential election. The military said it intervened to stop electoral manipulation, without citing the source of the allegation.
Umaro was reportedly arrested at his presidential office ahead of the military announcement. On November 27, Major-General Horta Nta Na Man was sworn in as transitional president for a one-year term after the military formally removed Umaro from his position. The ousted President Umaro later arrived in Senegal, with Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko calling the military coup d’état a “sham”.
The latest military takeover in Guinea-Bissau reflects a broader pattern of regional instability since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1974. It follows previous coups that occurred or were attempted in 2012, 2022, and 2023.
Guinea-Bissau also ranks first among African countries in the cocaine trade. Experts argue that “the deep-rooted involvement of Guinea-Bissau’s political-military elite in this illicit market has been a critical factor driving Guinea-Bissau’s repeated cycles of political turmoil.” In his first inaugural speech, transitional President Horta justified the military takeover to save Guinean democracy from “narcotraffickers.”
Notably, under Article 4(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a coup d’état may be regarded as “an emergency that threatens the life of a nation,” and thus states can take measures derogating from their obligations under the ICCPR.
The post UN Secretary-General condemns Guinea-Bissau coup following national elections appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.