CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Pedro Antonio dos Santos, USA, June 1999
THEME = DEMOCRACY
The ousting of Joao Bernardo Vieira ("Nino")
puts Guinea-Bissau in a very unusual situation
Internally, the event was a moment of joy and relief for the majority of the population. They witnessed the political demise of a man who for 19 years, had led a disastrous administration and behaved as if the country were his own backyard. Externally, however, the international community reacted in very different ways. On the one hand, the Community of (seven) Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) praised the outcome of the eleven-month politico- military crisis, but urged the new authorities to pursue the rule of law and guarantee the safety of the ousted president. On the other hand, international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the European Union (EU), and the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), and countries such as Senegal, France, and the United States, condemned the event, calling it a "coup d'etat".
At first hand, it would seem the events in Guinea-Bissau had all the classical characteristics of a coup d'etat. An elected president was forced to leave power because of a military rebellion. The above-mentioned international organizations are adamant that a president "democratically elected" should not be forced out of power by the military. For them, this is no way to solve political differences. Any change of leadership should occur peacefully and according to the Constitution.
Some countries went even further and considered imposing punitive sanctions against Guinea-Bissau. Indeed, the Senegalese authorities went so far as to block tons of food and medical supplies destined for Guinea-Bissau.
On 13 May, the UN Security Council asked the new authorities to ensure the safety of the ousted president, and pledged its support to the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG)'s efforts to "restore constitutional legality" in Guinea-Bissau.
Yet, there are occasions when the usual mean of changing leaders simply don't work, mainly when the leadership itself is the biggest source of conflict, as was the case with President Vieira, who refused to listen to advice given him when things were going very wrong with the country.
President Vieira was ousted, firstly, because he repeatedly violated the very Abuja Accords which guaranteed he should remain in power until the general elections (to be held probably by the end of this year). The Accords stipulated, among other things, that the President and the Military Junta should act together when it comes to governmental affairs, and limited to thirty, the number of armed guards for both the President and Brigadier Ansumane Mane, the Junta's leader. But what happened? The President violated these agreements by replacing Guinea-Bissau's Ambassador to Portugal by a close friend. He also refused to reduce the presidential guard down to the number stipulated by the Abuja Accords. On the contrary, he kept a roster of 600 guards, most of them recruited in the last months of the conflict among youngsters from his native region.
These violations were not isolated episodes but form part of a general picture emerging from a closer study of President Vieira's reputation. During his 19 years in power, he has proved to be a violator of his country's laws and of human rights.
Secondly, contrary to what has been reported for example, by the French and Senegalese media and feared by the international community, as far as the Junta is concerned, President Vieira's life has never been in danger. Mr. Vieira was rescued by the Junta from the French Cultural Centre and taken for safety to the Portuguese Embassy in Bissau. The new authorities wanted to ensure his safety so that when the time came, he could answer the accusations made against him and his administration, before a court of justice
In a way, one can understand the outrage manifested by the French and Senegalese authorities as they were Vieria's closest allies, and their diplomatic properties in Bissau were destroyed during the civil war. Likewise, ECOMOG's negative reaction can be understood, as most of ECOWAS leaders are Mr. Vieira's friends and have political troubles of their own.
It is hard, however, to understand why the UN, the OAU, the EU, and the United States, should insist that Guinea-Bissau's people should forget every horror and abuse of power, which characterized Mr. Vieira's administration.
Before being elected in a very controversial election in 1994, Mr. Vieira had arrived at the presidency via a coup d'etat in 1980, ousting President Luis Cabral. Once in charge, Mr. Vieira promised transparency in the administration, freedom of speech and of the press, and an end to the persecution and killing of so-called "enemies of the revolution". But what happened? His actions belied his words. He made it quite clear that he was the ruler, and called himself the "father of Guinea- Bissau", meaning that he was the only one who could guarantee unity among Guinea-Bissau's population. His administration was characterized by terror, corruption and nepotism, and social tension was high. The political environment was unbearable and it was felt that civil unrest could explode anytime..as indeed it did.
Now the civil war is over and a new administration has taken over but the question must be asked - should a former president accused of wrongdoing be taken to court or go unpunished into exile, as some international organizations and countries have suggested. On the other hand, how can a nation who wants to ensure that its public officials are accountable for their actions, close their eyes and let a president accused of wrongdoing get away with it, unpunished?
Guinea-Bissau's new authorities have now to convince the international community about the real situation in the country. Recognizing the need for clarifying the distorted information about the actual situation in Guinea-Bissau, the government has launched a diplomatic offensive in order to show the world that the ousting of President Vieira by force was not a coup d'etat, but a necessary way for re-establishing peace and order in the country.
END
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1999 - Reproduction
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