The chairman of the Economic Communityof West African States (ECOWAS), President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua of Nigeria hasexpressed sadness over the assassination of President Joao Bernardo Vieira andhis chief of staff General Batista Tagme Na Waie. In a statement, the ECOWAS chairmanemphasized the importance of constitutional succession to the presidency.
President Yar'Adua also called on GuineaBissau's armed forces and other security agencies to desist from any furtheractions likely to plunge the country into further lawlessness and politicalinstability.
ECOWAS Executive Secretary Mohamed Ibn Chambas told VOA the sub-regional body is sending a delegation toGuinea-Bissau Tuesday.
"Thechairman of ECOWAS, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua announced that he wasdispatching a delegation comprising the foreign ministers of Nigeria, BurkinaFaso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Senegal accompanied by the President ofECOWAS Commission on Tuesday, March third to go to Guinea-Bissau to engage allGuinean stakeholders in an effort to restore confidence among the politicalactors, civil society and security services and return the country toconstitutional normalcy," he said.
Seniormilitary officers in Guinea-Bissau said Monday night that the killing ofPresident Vieira was not a part of a coup attempt.
Chambassaid it was fair to characterize developments in Guinea-Bissau as anassassination. He said ECOWAS, the African Union and the internationalcommunity would not accept any attempt by the Guinea-Bissau military to seizepower.
"Therehas not been any move by the military to take over power. The militaryspokesperson who read the communiqué has indicated indeed that it is not anattempted coup d'état, and that in a sense is welcomed news in an otherwisevery charged and an unfortunate. Of course a coup d'état will not be accepted.The chairman of ECOWAS has strongly condemned the assassinations, but what isalso absolutely clear is that the entire region and indeed all of Africa willstrongly resist any attempt by the military to take over power at this time,"Chambas said.
Hesaid the ECOWAS delegation was going to Guinea-Bissau to send a strong messageto the military that any seizure of power would be unacceptable, and thatECOWAS would like to see constitutional normalcy restored as soon as possible.
Chambasdenied ECOWAS did not follow up on its threats to the military junta in Guineawhen they seized power following the death of President Lansana Conte.
"Thestrong warning and ECOWAS position in Guinea has been isolation not only byECOWAS but by Africa, and the rest of the world has taken cue from the AfricanUnion and ECOWAS position and also strongly condemned the regime. So I thinkthat the military in Guinea-Bissau would be well-advised not to go that pathbecause it would lead them to isolation, it would lead them to strongcondemnation, and it would lead them to where they would be held accountablefor any lost of life that would ensue in Guinea-Bissau," Chambas said.
Hesaid Monday's assassinations of President Vieira and his chief of staff werenot surprising to ECOWAS.
"Anyperson who is remotely familiar with the developments in Guinea-Bissau over thelast few years could not have been surprised by what happened, and certainly wewere not. We do have a representation office in Guinea-Bissau; we are workingand have been working very closely with all the stakeholders, politicalparties, civil society, especially the security services to try and bring thecountry to stability, peace and security with difficulties," he said.
Chambassaid one of the two main threats that have confronted Guinea-Bissau has beenthe lack of serious security sector reform. He said Monday's assassinationshave moved the issue to the forefront of reform in Guinea-Bissau.
Herefuted any notion that developments in Guinea and now Guinea-Bissau could bean indication that West Africa could be moving away from the path to democracy.
"Guineaand Guinea-Bissau are the exceptions. They are two countries in a region of 15countries. But they are not surprised cases. Guinea even before the death ofPresident Conte was never one of those countries that were on the path ofreform. Guinea-Bissau has also been tottering on instability for some time now.Perhaps the challenges that they face now would rally all of us to want to putthe necessary pressure on them but also give constructive the support that theywould require to join the rank of other ECOWAS countries on the path ofbuilding democracy, on the path of improving governance, on the path of reallyensuring real peace and stability," Chambas said.