The president of Guinea-Bissau and current chairman of ECOWAS, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, said on Thursday that he had convinced the junta in power in Guinea Conakry to reduce the duration of the transition to 24 months. This information has not been confirmed by the junta, which is talking about 36 months and wants the discussions to focus on the content of the transition.
ECOWAS Chairman Umaro Embalo continues to pursue negotiations for a 24-month transition in Guinea. But the authorities of this country have not been flexible on the issue and are asking the regional body to look more into the content of the transition.
“What’s the point of agreeing on a duration if what we want to put in place is not adapted to it,” transitional government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo told RFI. According to him, the discussions that Guinea is conducting with ECOWAS and its partners are, and must be, about the content of the transition.
The junta’s three points for transition
The junta’s plan for the transition in Guinea is based on three axes. The establishment of an electoral body requires a minimum period of 24 months, taking into account the revision of constitutional texts and institutional rectification. Only then can the country enter an electoral cycle for which further discussions will also be necessary.
Furthermore, “It will be necessary to determine whether the general elections will be held in one day or whether they will be sequenced,” continues Ousmane Diallo. It also specifies that this period should take into account the time of the campaign.
An ECOWAS meeting to address the Guinean issue.
In view of this action plan drawn up by the Guinean authorities, an ECOWAS summit is to be held soon to decide on the content and duration of the transition in Guinea. No details were given on the date of this meeting, which will be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.
