Guinea-Bissau Need Political Tolerance.
Guinea-Bissau needs “culture of political tolerance”, stated the United Nations (UN) envoy. In an interview with ONU News, he commented on the constant institutional crises in Guinea-Bissau and called for more tolerance in politics.
The Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simão, commented on the repeated institutional crises in the country; According to him, it is necessary to create spaces for everyone to participate in the construction of a State “stable and respectable".
Guinea-Bissau is facing a prolonged period of political instability that has resulted in the recent dissolution of Parliament. According to the UN special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simão, this scenario harms the country's development and the trust of partners.
Space for everyone
“The main challenge that Guinea-Bissau has is to regain the trust of its partners, and for this to happen there must be political tolerance in the country, so that each entity has its own space for existence”.
“Each of these entities playing their role, but all contributing to the construction of a stable State, a respectable State”.
“And this cannot be the work of a single entity.”
“The State makes the difference. It's like a hand. The fingers of the hand are not the same, but they all contribute to the hand functioning as an entity for the benefit of the organism itself.”
“Therefore, our appeal to Guinea-Bissau is to develop a culture of political tolerance that creates space for everyone’s participation.”
At a Security Council meeting last Thursday, Simão assessed that the country must carry out a constitutional review that clarifies that the division of powers is essential to definitively break the cycle of instability that afflicts the African nation.
“It is a country that has had repeated crises and that have seriously delayed development efforts.”
“We are mobilizing efforts and good will and different entities to support the country towards development”.
“But every time we approach some partners, they always talk about the lack of stability, that any effort they may make will be harmed because when you least expect it, there will be a political crisis in the country”.
He concluded after the meeting.
History of instability
According to the report presented by Simão to the members of the Security Council, the country had new members of the National Popular Assembly sworn in on July 27, with Domingos Simões Pereira, leader of the African Independence Party of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), unanimously elected President of Parliament.
On August 14, a new government of 19 members, led by Prime Minister Geraldo João Martins, was sworn in. The first ordinary session of Parliament began on 14 November, but tensions between political leaders emerged, leading to armed clashes on 1 December.
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló dissolved the Assembly on December 4th, alleging a “coup attempt“, which was contested by several parties. On December 12th, Geraldo João Martins was reappointed as prime minister, but was replaced on December 20th by Rui Duarte Barros.
On December 21, Embaló swore in a new government of “presidential initiative“, with 24 ministers and nine secretaries of State.
Conclusion
Guinea-Bissau finds itself at a critical crossroads, marked by recurring institutional crises and political instability. The UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simão, highlighted the urgent need to cultivate a “culture of political tolerance”, in favor of stability.
The recent history of Guinea-Bissau is marked by political clashes, parliamentary dissolutions and attempted coups d'état, it is therefore vital to create spaces for the participation of all entities in the construction of a stable and respectable State. The analysis carried out by the UN concluded that Guinea-Bissau must regain the trust of international partners in order to have a future.
This analysis suggests a constitutional review as an essential measure to clarify the division of powers, definitively breaking the cycle of instability, highlighting the pressing need for a more tolerant and collaborative approach to guarantee a more stable and prosperous future.
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Picture: © 2022 Francisco Lopes-Santos
