The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has extended the duration of its task force in Guinea-Bissau until March 2020, APA has learnt.
This was part of the final resolution of the summit of heads of state of the regional grouping which was released in Bissau on Wednesday.
“The conference finally decided to extend its mandate of ECOMIB for a period of six months from October 1, 2019,” said the final resolution of the 55th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the bloc held in Nigeria.
With regard to the political situation in this Portuguese-speaking country, ECOWAS regional leaders said they want to see the new Bissau-guinean government take office on Wednesday.
The country’s president will remain in office until the next election “and the running of the administration will be entirely in the hands of the government constituted in accordance with the constitution of Guinea-Bissau,” the ECOWAS office in Bissau said.
The communiqué added that “on the basis of the consensus reached by Guinea-Bissau’s political actors, ECOWAS’ resolution also provides for the appointment of a new Prosecutor General by Wednesday.”
Following ECOWAS resolutions, the President of Guinea-Bissau met on Tuesday with the Attorney General Bacari Biai and Prime Minister Aristides Gomes.
The political crisis in Guinea-Bissau began in 2015 after President José Mário Vaz dismissed Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira from the leadership of the ruling PAIGC party, which won the 2014 legislative elections.
Vaz accused him of corruption and nepotism.
The crisis led to the closure of parliament and despite Ecowas mediation efforts, Vaz appointed seven Prime Ministers, including one on two occasions.
NM/odl/cat/lb/as/APA