- Title: NIGERIA: West Africa bloc urges AU and EU to lift Guinea-Bissau sanctions
- Date: 18th July 2013
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (JULY 18, 2013) (REUTERS) DIGNITARIES TAKING SEATS AT THE CONFERENCE VARIOUS PRESIDENTS AND DIGNITARIES LISTENING TO COMMUNIQUE VARIOUS OF PRESIDENTS SEATED AS COMMUNIQUE IS READ (SOUNDBITE) (French) KADRE DESIRE OUEDRAOGO, ECOWAS PRESIDENT, SAYING: "Authority once more reiterates its call on the African Union and international partners to lift the sanctions imposed on Guinea Bissau and resume bilateral cooperation with this country. The authority encourages the ongoing initiatives to convene a donor conference to mobilise the necessary resources for the social economic development of the country." VARIOUS OF PRESIDENTS CLAPPING VARIOUS OF DIGNITARIES LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) KADRE DESIRE OUEDRAOGO, ECOWAS PRESIDENT, SAYING: "On emergency security threats, the heads of states and governments fully condemn the acts of terrorism, piracy and other forms of transnational organised crime perpetrated in the ECOWAS space. Summit expresses solidarity with the member states that have fallen victim to these attacks in particular Mali, Niger and Nigeria." MORE OF PRESIDENTS LISTENING TO READING OF COMMUNIQUE MALIAN REPRESENTATIVE READING THE VOTE OF THANKS VARIOUS OF DIGNITARIES LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) ALASSANE OUATTARA, CHAIRPERSON, ECOWAS AND PRESIDENT OF IVORY COAST, SAYING: "We have now come to a point where decisions to strengthen the organisation is going to test our solidarity and I believe that the discussions on the common external tariffs and the conclusion of the economic partnership arrangements with the European Union have made headway and we have to compromise to ensure that we conclude this." ECOWAS BANNER/MEMBER STATES' FLAGS DISPLAYED DEPARTURE FROM HALL VARIOUS OF CARS CARRYING PRESIDENTS DEPARTING VENUE OF MEETING
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVANRBRQKI14EE0I4YIBI2DUQ69
- Story Text: West African leaders on Thursday (July 18) called on the Africa Union and European Union to lift sanctions imposed on Guinea-Bissau in 2012 in the wake of a military coup.
The European Union had slapped sanctions on Guinea-Bissau after the April 2012 coup derailed presidential elections and set back Western efforts to combat drug cartels. The African Union too had suspended Guinea-Bissau from all activities until the effective restoration of the constitutional order.
The West African heads of states met for a second day at the concluding ECOWAS summit in Nigeria's capital to discuss details on the security situation in Guinea-Bissau.
ECOWAS president Kadre Desire Ouedraogosaid due to the move by the West African country to ensure a peaceful democracy, it was necessary for the sanctions to be lifted.
"Authority once more reiterates its call on the African Union and international partners to lift the sanctions imposed on Guinea Bissau and resume bilateral cooperation with this country. The authority encourages the ongoing initiatives to convene a donor conference to mobilise the necessary resources for the social economic development of the country," he said.
The ECOWAS President also condemned acts of terrorism across the region.
"On emergency security threats, the heads of states and governments fully condemn the acts of terrorism, piracy and other forms of transnational organised crime perpetrated in the ECOWAS space. Summit expresses a solidarity with the member states that have fallen victim to these attacks in particular Mali, Niger and Nigeria," he said.
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said the bloc's decisions were key to a better partnership with the European Union.
"Decisions to strengthen the organisation is going to test our solidarity and I believe that the discussions on the common external tariffs and the conclusion of the economic partnership arrangements with the European Union have made headway," Alassane said.
The West African body also called for assistance from the international community for a 25 million US dollar fund to aid logistics in the July 28 Mali elections.
Mali's interim government signed a peace deal with representatives of the Tuaregs in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, in mid-June, paving the way for national elections to take place at the end of this month. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
