Final communiqué of the joint Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)/Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) consultative meeting on the situation in Guinea-Bissau

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Country/entity: Guinea-Bissau
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Final communiqué of the joint Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)/Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) consultative meeting on the situation in Guinea-Bissau
Date: 25 Aug 1998
Agreement status: Unilateral document
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Interstate/intrastate conflict(s)
Guinea-Bissau Civil War (1998 - 1999)
An attempted coup d'etat by Brigadier General Mane against the government of President Vieira in June 1998 led to a conflict that killed thousands as Vieira - backed by neighbouring states - attempted to re-take the country. A national unity government was established in an agreement signed in November 1998, but fighting continued until Vieira was deposed in May 1999. Only months before the coup attempt, Brig. Gen. Mane was suspended on grounds of a dereliction of duty following the discovery of a weapons cache and the arrest of several army officers on charges of arming Casamance insurgents in neighbouring Senegal. Following the deposal of Vieira, it was agreed that he would stand trial on the same charges. His deposal was condemned by ECOMOG, but ECOMOG troops were nonetheless withdrawn from Guinea-Bissau. The constitution was amended to limit presidential terms to a maximum of two and the death penalty was abolished. The opposition party won the parliamentary elections held in November 1999 by a large majority.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Guinea Bissau peace process
Parties: Unsigned agreeement but parties are known to be:
the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau;
and the Self-denominated Military Junta.
Third parties: Unsigned agreeement but the following parties are listed as present at the meeting:
ECOWAS member States
- Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
- Republic of The Gambia
- Republic of Guinea
- Federal Republic of Nigeria
- Republic of Senegal

CPLP member States
- Republic of Angola
- Federative Republic of Brazil
- Republic of Cape Verde
- Republic of Mozambique
- Republic of Portugal
- Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

The representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations is also listed as present at the meeting on special invitation.
Description: This agreement provides for a coordinated mediation approach between ECOWAS and the CPLP Contact Group regarding ending the conflict in Guinea-Bisseau. Issues covered in the agreement include: the permanence and monitoring of the ceasefire; the reopening of the airport, the return of refugees, and international financial assistance.

Agreement document: GW_980826_FinalCommuniquePraia.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Substantive
Page 2, 14: The Government of Guinea-Bissau and the Self-denominated Military Junta considered the issue of the Osvaldo Vieira airport which remained closed and agreed on the need to reopen it in order to:
...- Facilitate the return of refugees and displaced persons.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: Page 2, 14: The Government of Guinea-Bissau and the Self-denominated Military Junta considered the issue of the Osvaldo Vieira airport which remained closed and agreed on the need to reopen it in order to:
- Ease the movement of humanitarian aid;
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: Page 2, 14: The Government of Guinea-Bissau and the Self-denominated Military Junta considered the issue of the Osvaldo Vieira airport which remained closed and agreed on the need to reopen it in order to:
- Ease the movement of humanitarian aid;
- Provide the logistic support for the ceasefire observer team;
- Facilitate the return of refugees and displaced persons.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: Page 2, 15: The meeting called on the international community to assist the people of Guinea-Bissau.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1, 8: The participants exchanged views on political and military matters as well as issues relating to regional security.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 1, 10: The meeting noted with satisfaction that the parties to the conflict had agreed to a truce, brokered by CPLP, and commended CPLP for its efforts.

Page 1, 11: In order to consolidate the fragile peace now holding in Guinea-Bissau and ensure that it is not short-lived, the parties to the conflict, encouraged by the ECOWAS Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group, agreed to transform the current truce into a ceasefire.

Page 2, 12: The representatives of the Government of Guinea-Bissau and the Self- denominated Military Junta then proceeded to sign the ceasefire agreement.

Page 2, 13: The meeting also agreed on the need to put in place a mechanism to supervise and monitor the ceasefire. The modalities for its implementation will be finalized during the next meeting.

Page 2, 14: The Government of Guinea-Bissau and the Self-denominated Military Junta considered the issue of the Osvaldo Vieira airport which remained closed and agreed on the need to reopen it in order to:
...- Provide the logistic support for the ceasefire observer team;

Page 2, 17: This will be preceded by a meeting of Chiefs of Staff or military experts of States members of the Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group which will be held on 10 September to consider the technical, logistic and operational aspects of the observer team for the monitoring of the ceasefire and the interposition forces with respect to the establishment of a buffer zone along the Senegal/Guinea-Bissau borders.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: Page 1, 8: The participants exchanged views on political and military matters as well as issues relating to regional security.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: Page 2, 17: This will be preceded by a meeting of Chiefs of Staff or military experts of States members of the Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group which will be held on 10 September to consider the technical, logistic and operational aspects of the observer team for the monitoring of the ceasefire and the interposition forces with respect to the establishment of a buffer zone along the Senegal/Guinea-Bissau borders.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: Page 1, 4: The representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations was present at the meeting, on special invitation.
Other international signatory: Page 1, 2: The following member States were present at the meeting:
ECOWAS member States
- Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
- Republic of The Gambia
- Republic of Guinea
- Federal Republic of Nigeria
- Republic of Senegal

CPLP member States
- Republic of Angola
- Federative Republic of Brazil
- Republic of Cape Verde
- Republic of Mozambique
- Republic of Portugal
- Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

Page 1, 3: Representatives of the ECOWAS and CPLP secretariats also participated in the meeting.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 2, 17: This will be preceded by a meeting of Chiefs of Staff or military experts of States members of the Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group which will be held on 10 September to consider the technical, logistic and operational aspects of the observer team for the monitoring of the ceasefire and the interposition forces with respect to the establishment of a buffer zone along the Senegal/Guinea-Bissau borders.

Page 2, 18: The ministerial meeting will consider:
...- The establishment of an observer team; and
- The composition and all other aspects relative to the deployment of the interposition forces under the framework of the establishment of a buffer zone along the Senegal/Guinea-Bissau borders.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: UN Peacemaker: http://peacemaker.un.org/

Final communiqué of the joint Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)/Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) consultative meeting on the situation in Guinea-Bissau, held at Praia, Cape Verde, on 25 and 26 August 1998

A joint meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Member States of the ECOWAS Committee of Seven on Guinea-Bissau and the Community of Portuguese- speaking Countries (CPLP) Contact Group was held at Praia, Republic of Cape Verde, on 25 [and 26] August 1998, under the joint chairmanship of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire and Cape Verde, Messrs. Amara Essy and José Luis Jesus.

The aim of the meeting was to coordinate their mediation efforts, within the framework of ECOWAS, aimed at restoring peace in Guinea- Bissau.

The following member States were present at the meeting:

ECOWAS member States

Republic of Côte d’Ivoire

Republic of The Gambia

Republic of Guinea

Federal Republic of Nigeria

Republic of Senegal

CPLP member States

Republic of Angola

Federative Republic of Brazil

Republic of Cape Verde

Republic of Mozambique

Republic of Portugal

Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

Representatives of the ECOWAS and CPLP secretariats also participated in the meeting.

The representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations was present at the meeting, on special invitation.

Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and the Self-denominated Military Junta.

The participants exchanged views and held frank and constructive discussions with regard to their joint mediation efforts of the crisis in Guinea-Bissau.

During the meeting, the ECOWAS Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group agreed on a common strategy to be adopted during the negotiations.

The participants exchanged views on political and military matters as well as issues relating to regional security.

The meeting sought the views of the parties to the conflict on the proposed agenda.

No amendments were made.

The meeting noted with satisfaction that the parties to the conflict had agreed to a truce, brokered by CPLP, and commended CPLP for its efforts.

In order to consolidate the fragile peace now holding in Guinea-Bissau and ensure that it is not short-lived, the parties to the conflict, encouraged by the ECOWAS Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group, agreed to transform the current truce into a ceasefire.

The representatives of the Government of Guinea-Bissau and the Self- denominated Military Junta then proceeded to sign the ceasefire agreement.

The meeting also agreed on the need to put in place a mechanism to supervise and monitor the ceasefire.

The modalities for its implementation will be finalized during the next meeting.

The Government of Guinea-Bissau and the Self-denominated Military Junta considered the issue of the Osvaldo Vieira airport which remained closed and agreed on the need to reopen it in order to:

Ease the movement of humanitarian aid;

Provide the logistic support for the ceasefire observer team;

Facilitate the return of refugees and displaced persons.

The meeting called on the international community to assist the people of Guinea-Bissau.

The ECOWAS Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group agreed that their next meeting will be hold in Côte d’Ivoire on 12 September 1998.

This will be preceded by a meeting of Chiefs of Staff or military experts of States members of the Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group which will be held on 10 September to consider the technical, logistic and operational aspects of the observer team for the monitoring of the ceasefire and the interposition forces with respect to the establishment of a buffer zone along the Senegal/Guinea-Bissau borders.

The ministerial meeting will consider:

The continuation of discussions on the issues under negotiation;

The establishment of an observer team;

and

The composition and all other aspects relative to the deployment of the interposition forces under the framework of the establishment of a buffer zone along the Senegal/Guinea-Bissau borders.

The ECOWAS Committee of Seven and the CPLP Contact Group expressed their profound gratitude to His Excellency, Mr. António Mascarenhas Monteiro, president of the Republic, the Government and the people of Cape Verde for the kind hospitality extended to them and for the excellent facilities put at their disposal to ensure the success of their meeting.

DONE at Praia this 25th day of August 1998.