1st LD Writethru: UN Security Council extends mandate of peacebuilding mission in Guinea-Bissau

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of a UN peacebuilding mission in Guinea-Bissau for another year, till Feb. 28, 2019.

Resolution 2404 requests the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) to focus on supporting the Conakry Agreement and a regionally brokered roadmap to solve the political stalemate in the country by facilitating an inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation process.

UNIOGBIS is also asked to strengthen democratic governance, particularly with regard to the implementation of necessary urgent reforms. It is asked to support the electoral process to ensure inclusive, free and credible legislative elections in 2018 within the legally mandated timeframe.

The office is further asked to provide support to national authorities in expediting and completing the review of the country's constitution.

The resolution stresses the importance of holding legislative elections within the legally mandated timeframe in 2018, and presidential elections in 2019. It recalls the relevance of passing key reforms aimed at creating a conducive environment for those elections, the reform of the electoral code and the promulgation of a new law on political parties.

The resolution calls on Guinea-Bissau stakeholders to refrain from actions and statements that could escalate tensions and incite violence.

It calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and all stakeholders to engage in inclusive and genuine dialogue, and to address the root causes of instability with particular attention to political-military dynamics, constitutional review, ineffective state institutions and rule of law, impunity and human rights violations and abuses, poverty and lack of access to basic services.

It calls on the security and defense services to continue to submit themselves fully to civilian control.

The resolution expresses the Security Council's readiness to take additional measures to respond to further worsening of the situation in the country.

The tiny West African country has been plagued by chronic political instability since independence in 1974. The October 2016 Conakry Agreement, among others, provides for the appointment of a consensual prime minister after President Jose Mario Vaz deposed Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, his main political rival, in mid-2015.

UNIOGBIS was established in 2010 to replace a previous UN peacebuilding support office in Guniea-Bissau. Enditem