1999-06-08

Guinea-Bissau:
After 11 months of political-military conflict,
signs of 30 days of normalisation and changes

Guinea-Bissau has lived the past 11 months - from July 7, 1998 to May 7, 1999 - a violent political-military conflict, with its core at the city of Bissau, which caused an unknown number of dead and mutilated people, displaced the majority of the population of this city and destroyed part of the housing, economic, social and administrative infra-structures.

President Nino appealed on the first days of June for foreign troops in order to defeat the military upraising, putting himself on a situation of internal isolation which drove the Guinea-Bissau Parliament to ask for his resignation on November 1998.

The permanent instability caused by Nino Vieira's refusal to understand the course of the history, as well as the successive violations of the Abuja Peace Agreement - culminating on the refusal of the presidential guards to disarm - led to an ultimate and swift military confrontation which ended with the unconditional surrender of the loyal forces to President Nino Vieira on May 8. The ousted President sought temporary refuge at the Portuguese Embassy, to where he was driven and protected by the Military Junta forces that feared for his safety.

Considering the fact that some international instances classify the events of May 7 as a "Military Putsch" or have issued condemning declarations, compromising the help programs that are going on, we find that it is fundamental to call upon the following essential aspects:

· The legitimate government - the Government of National Unity - resulting from the Abuja Agreement, kept in office,

· The Parliament immediately appointed his President as an Interim President of the Republic, in accordance with the Guinea-Bissau Constitution,

· There has not been any military appointments to civil offices of public administration,

· There has been an immediate statement on the objective of promoting legislative and presidential elections, within the deadlines early accorded.

We also find it is essential to remind that throughout years and before numerous violations of democratic and human right principles and clear signs of bad management and corruption, the silence was the common procedure of many of the international organisations. Some of the declarations made now ignored totally the backgrounds that led to the events of May 7, 1999 and disregarded the subsequent standings of institutions and organisations of all sectors of Guinea-Bissau Society.

Indeed, Political Parties, Unions, NGOs, Religious Organisations, Corporate Associations, Free Press, all came out to the open with a common attitude of "relief" and hope. This attitude reveals a wide consensus within Guinea-Bissau Society and congratulating with the possibility of creating conditions for political-military stabilisation, essential to the country reconstruction and to the changes required by a large majority of Guinea-Bissauan: the democratisation of political life and good governance.

This memorandum finds thus justification in the need to promote the wide-spread of systematic and diversified information concerning the normalisation process and the changing occurring in the country, in the last 30 days, and aims at contributing to the normalisation of some external partners relationship with Guinea-Bissau. We believe that any delay in this normalisation process will penalise without justification a population who needs to heal with its wounds and wishes to believe in its right to rebuild the future on new grounds.

A Transition Pact to assure conditions of stability

Negotiated amongst the Government of National Unity, the Political Parties and the Military Junta, a Transition Pact has been firmed, which is seen by all political forces as an essential instrument to facilitate the normalisation of the institutional life and the consolidation of the peace process.

This Pact, which will rule the country until the next elections, addresses the relations between the state authorities and its competencies. With regard to this matter, the Pact enlarges the powers of the Government of National Unity and of the Interim President, in order to assure public life normality during this period. The competencies of the Government of National Unity include the preparation of the elections.

The Pact re-affirms that all international commitments taken by Guinea-Bissau will be respected.

It must not be forgotten that the Government of National Unity is a result of the Abuja Peace Agreement, therefore including members that were named by the two parts in conflict. Keeping this Government composition, despite all tensions surrounding it, shows a clear effort to respect that Agreement. Also, keeping the Diplomatic Body of the Presidency's trust may as well work for some immobility in external affairs. Within this picture, the Transition Pact firmed by all political institutions and forces takes fundamental part in the creation of a national consensus atmosphere and in the legitimacy of political and management measures taken in this transition period before the elections.

A new culture of power

Time is still short for a consolidated process of changes regarding mentalities and, particularly, the culture of Power. Nevertheless, some indicators show an investment on that matter, translated in the steps that are being given towards the construction of a new relation between the government and the governed. An example is the radio programme on the day that the Government of National Unity over turned its first 100 days. On that day, the Prime Minister made himself available to be on a direct at the Radio network, along 3 hours, answering all the questions or queries people got through to him by telephone. It is also a new practice the regular attending of Ministers to the Parliament to answer to the deputies' questions.

Transparency and good governance

A set of measures aimed at promoting transparency with regard to Public Administration are being taken as follows:

· At the Parliament (Assembleia Nacional Popular) level: a legislative package has been approved which compels, for the first time, all public offices holders to declare their assets under penalty "as a way to fight corruption and the illicit enrichment of public offices holders".

· At the Government of National Unity level: it has been approved the Regulation of Incompatibilities from the exercise of certain private and entrepreneurial jobs applied to Government members; it has been defined the "service car" for the exercise of state functions as a car with utilitarian characteristics.

Protection of fundamental rights

A set of legislative measures and practical decisions are being approved and/or executed:

· At the Parliament level: revision of the Guinea-Bissau Constitution, which now includes a set of fundamental principles with regard to human rights and, in particular, to the right for freedom, life, resistance and access to the law and justice - an expression of this is the institution of the Ombudsman,

· At the Government of National Unity level: access to all prisoners has been granted to the League of Guinea-Bissau Human Rights who could confirm that there are no testimonies of torture while in prison; starting of the dismantling process of the political police and redefinition of the security information service role,

· At the Military Junta level: progressive release (and symbolic deliver to the League of Guinea-Bissau Human Rights) of the "aguentas", young militia recruited on an ethnical basis by Nino Vieira in the last months of the conflict; release of about 20 close collaborators of the ousted President, including ex-Ministers and ex-Counsellors, who have been placed under surveyed residence until the time comes for judicial procedure, if it's the case,

· At the level of the different Constitutional Institutions: authorisation to the ousted President to leave the country, for health reasons, despite the suspects on heavy crimes practice and the decision of judicial procedure on that.

Rehabilitation as the prime task

Despite difficulties on raising the essential conditions for rehabilitation - from financial means to delays on the airport and banking reopening - there have been initiatives resulting from joint efforts of the Government, national and foreign NGOs, religious organisations, and the city hall of Bissau, among others.

The cleaning of the town, the rebuilding of houses, the reorganisation of the market places are happening a bit throughout the city of Bissau. An example is the conclusion of the first pilot-project of reconstruction of 130 houses in some poor quarters, resulting from the joint initiative of the Dutch Co-operation, the Quarters Improvement Project and the INEP, and now entering a new phase that encompasses about 1500 houses. The population does the repairing work itself, and the external funding resides only in the providing of nails, zinc and concrete.

Also, Guinea-Bissau Caritas finished the reconstruction of 122 houses and 22 others in Antula with the help of the population of the Missirá, Belém, Ajuda and Bissau/Ponte Cibe quarters.

The Government of National Unity is promoting weekly reunions for concert-action between all participants in the rehabilitation of the city of Bissau. It is also evident the government's effort to provide the peasants rice, peanut and cotton seeds, as well as small agricultural equipment.

This process of rehabilitation shows clearly a new associative dynamics amongst the quarter's population, shown in the quarter's reconstruction, in the informative actions related with the dangers of the anti-personal mines and in the cleaning of wastes.

The return of the military to the barracks

The first symbolic steps of the return of the military to the barracks have been taken with their withdrawn from the capital streets. Small security groups to public buildings are the ones remaining.

Today, June 7, one year after the military upraising, the Military Junta Command announces the leaving of the military air base, by the International Airport, to the Amura fort, headquarter of the Armed Forces Commanding-in-Chief.

Reestablishment of international connections

The port of Bissau is now open to all kinds of maritime traffic. The terrestrial borders are also open on both sides. The crossing of the Pirada border, since the last days of May - either of commercial vehicles or of humanitarian transportation - is being done at a rhythm never seen in the previous 11 months.

Works are going on leading to the reopening of the airport, which will probably be gradual according to the planes dimensions. To address this problem, a deal has been made with the Cape Verde Airlines regarding the opening of a regular connection to Sal; they're enabling the access to intercontinental flights. This alternative is due to start on the forthcoming June 23.

The return of the refugees

Despite the delays on the programmes supporting the return of the professional staff and of the refugees in general, there is clear evidence of the will to return - which started already and is due to increase largely after the reopening of the airport. For instance, the majority of the refugees in Cape Verde who were given opportunity to return on a military flight, came back already (about 150).

The recognising of and the international support to these efforts

Though limited, there are also important signs of international support to the efforts of organisations, institutions and the population of Guinea-Bissau. That shows clearly on some European NGOs who, at an European meeting, committed themselves to the re-launching process of the country. These NGOs didn't holdback and they are now establishing contacts with their Guinea-Bissau partners in view of the preparation and execution of joint projects (as it has been exemplified in the process of housing reconstruction).

To be highlighted the public statement of International Amnesty who, for the first time for many years, says there are no violations of human rights and appeals to the International Community for the swift mobilisation of resources as committed at the Geneva Round-Table, so as to turn feasible Guinea-Bissau internal efforts for the normalisation of the country.

The urgency for a wider support

About 250.000 people lived quiet and peacefully in Bissau and had to leave behind everything. Families from the interior parts of the country have also been affected as they were the ones whose solidarity allowed the survival of the displaced. Besides, many were compelled to flee by sea and seek refuge abroad.

This population - a million inhabitants - shows several signs of trust in the future and commitment in putting back together their lives - those signs show in the market places, in the "bolanhas", in the chores of reconstruction and cleaning of their quarters and cities. They do not deserve to be punished for believing in a peaceful future.

The going into normality and the (re)construction of the democratic institutions depend upon the external support that have been promised - particularly in what concerns the elections process. Guinea-Bissau institutions urgently need means to enable them to stand up to their commitments regarding the elections.

It is urgent to help Guinea-Bissau getting out of a transitory situation, creating conditions for the return of the military camps, which is also their will despite the "moral authority" they were granted by the people of Guinea-Bissau along the conflict.

8.6.99

Information Network on Guinea-Bissau