Akufo-Addo Pledges Support For Guinea Bissau’s Stability

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has pledged Ghana's support for Guinea Bissau's political stability as the troubled West African nation prepares to hold elections in November, this year [2018].

In furtherance of this, the President wants Guinea Bissau to see Ghana as a partner in its quest to develop.

President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance when the Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau, Mr Aristides Gomes paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House in Accra.

“We are willing to help you. You can count on us to assist in bringing positive development..” the President said.

Mr Gomes in a meeting with the President appealed to Ghana and members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to offer financial support to Guinea Bissau to enable it successfully carry out the elections in November.

He told President Akufo-Addo that with the current crisis in Guinea Bissau, coupled with the International Monetary Fund's restriction on that economy, the country needs more resources to organize the elections.

Mr Gomes disclosed that some countries had given assurances but will be encouraged if ECOWAS also participates financially in that endeavour.

He informed President Akufo-Addo that the political parties in that country had agreed to work together and had signed an agreement to work towards peace and stability.

The Prime Minister said stability in that country would “essentially bring about reforms after the elections, and those reforms, which would be in the areas of defence and security, public administration and justice, would inform constitutional amendments to avoid the potential crisis in the future.”

He further asked that the ECOWAS Military Intervention Force in Guinea Bissau be made to stay after the elections until such a time that the reforms were taken to safeguard the stability and peace of the country.

President Akufo-Addo, therefore, promised to push the agenda for support for that country's election at the next ECOWAS and Africa Union meetings, saying; “I'm confident that something would be done.”

“Everybody is encouraged by you and the manner in which you have come; we recognise that this is a historic opportunity to try and bring this long-standing crisis to a closure. So whatever be the case, you can count on me, you can count on Ghana for us to make a strong case as well as the post-electoral situation as far as the ECOMOG is concerned.”

This is not the first time the President has shown commitment to ending an ongoing political crisis in an African country.

In March 2018, the President visited Togo to mediate between President Faure Gnassingbe and some opposition political parties who were pushing or a return to the country's 1992 constitution which imposes limits on presidential terms.

–