GUINEA-BISSAU: UNSC CONSULTATIONS APRIL 2

UNCLAS STATE 032283 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM SNAR PU XA XY SUBJECT: GUINEA-BISSAU: UNSC CONSULTATIONS APRIL 2 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. USUN may draw from the talking points in para 2 during the UN Security Council consultations on Guinea-Bissau April 8. ¶2. Begin Statement: -- First, the United States welcomes the successful transition in Guinea-Bissau to Parliament Speaker Raimundo Pereira, the constitutional successor to the late President Joao Nino Vieira. We congratulate Guinea-Bissau for adhering to its constitution under extraordinary circumstances. -- The United States supports the interim president and encourages the government of Guinea-Bissau to continue to work within its democratic institutions to pave a peaceful path forward. -- We urge the Government of Guinea-Bissau, military and all political parties to respect the rule of law and ensure the safety of all Bissau-Guineans. The two assassinations clearly identify the urgent need to reform the justice, defense and security sectors of Guinea-Bissau. -- The United States notes that Guinea-Bissau has set June 28 for presidential election, 120 days vice the 60 days required in the constitution. We understand that this had the support of all the parties, and that Guinea-Bissau would have been hard pressed to hold good elections in 60 days. -- While the elections are significant in moving the country forward peacefully, we recognize the importance of Security Sector Reform (SSR) in Guinea-Bissau. The U.S. encourages the implementation of the SSR Program that will ensure effective security and justice reforms. -- As reported in the Secretary General reports, drug trafficking activities in Guinea-Bissau are at risk of escalation. We remain concerned about the possible link between high ranking national officials and these activities. We are encouraged though by the promise of the new government to vigorously combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes. Allowing these activities to persist will only deepen the threat to peace and security in Guinea-Bissau and in the sub-region. -- The United States was heartened to learn the cholera epidemic was declared over. It will be critical to develop a strong strategic plan to prevent and control future epidemics. We encourage the establishment of an inter-ministerial emergency preparedness and response mechanism to this regard. -- We join with the Secretary General in calling for political actors to put aside personal ambition to work collaboratively toward improving conditions for all those in Guinea-Bissau. With the tragic events of March, it is time for the country to move forward and create a path to stability and opportunity. Questions: n What were the critical findings of the various reviews conducted on SSR? Have the terms of reference for the international Security Sector Advisory Team been commissioned into action? How does the ECOWAS roadmap differ? n How much progress has been made in organizing elections? What is the donor community doing to assist at this point? CLINTON