Guinea: Ban welcomes signing by political parties of declaration eschewing violence | WPN World People News

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday welcomed the signing of a joint declaration by political actors in Guinea to resolve differences over preparations for stalled legislative elections and other contentious issues through peaceful means.

Woman voting in the Hamdallaye area of Conakry, the capital of Guinea in June 2010.

“The joint declaration calls on all political parties to refrain from any violent demonstrations and confirms their determination to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful and negotiated solutions,” according to a statement released by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

Mr. Ban also welcomed the statement made by President Alpha Condé Wednesday expressing his readiness to take measures to guarantee the transparency and the credibility of the electoral process, with the involvement of international partners.

In March, protests in the West African nation related to the polls led to several deaths and hundreds of injuries. At that time, both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN human rights office appealed for calm amid the violence and urged political actors in Guinea to pursue dialogue to create conditions for peaceful elections.

The spokesman said that the Secretary-General continues to encourage the Government and the opposition leaders to engage in constructive dialogue to overcome the current challenges in the electoral process,

He welcomed the role played by the team of facilitators for such dialogue, in particular by his Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit, who last week met with a range of Guinean stakeholders to explore ways to resume discussions.

“He remains hopeful that this political dialogue will lay the foundations for sustainable peace and stability in Guinea and guarantee the holding of legislative elections as soon as feasible,” the spokesperson said.

Source: UN News