Former Beninese President Thomas Boni Yayi has spent almost a week in Conakry to try to find a way out of the Guinean political crisis.
The mediator of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for Guinea completed on Saturday 27 August his second working mission, almost two months after his first stay in the Guinean capital.
Upon his arrival on 21 August, Thomas Boni Yayi met with various actors in this country which is going through a new institutional crisis following the coup d’état of 5 September 2021.
At the end of his visit, which aimed to facilitate the operationalization of a framework for inclusive dialogue that should allow the return to constitutional order, the former Beninese president (2006 – 2016) has notably “welcomed the establishment by the transition authorities of the inclusive consultation framework”.
This body, composed of political actors and members of civil society, was launched on 15 April by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, president of the transition, at the head of the putsch that overthrew Alpha Condé.
Boycotted by some major political parties, such as Alpha Condé’s RPG and the G58 coalition of Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Touré, this framework is supposed to initiate discussions to end the transition.
However, these Guinean political figures are demanding that it be supervised by an international observer.
However, Thomas Boni Yayi “urged the political parties that have not yet taken part in the consultation framework initiated by the authorities, which could be updated in a consensual manner, to do so in order to ensure a peaceful transition.
In this sense, it invites the stakeholders, namely the transitional government, the opposition and civil society, “to find compromises to make the dialogue inclusive and consensual.
According to the ECOWAS communiqué, the latter “affirmed their willingness to continue discussions in order to agree on a timetable and content of the transition accepted by all.
Moreover, the end of the stay of the mediator of this sub-regional organisation coincides with the partial suspension of calls for demonstrations by the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC).
This protest movement, dissolved in early August by the transitional government, is composed of a coalition of parties, unions and civil society organisations.
Despite its dissolution, the FNDC continues to mobilise and had called for demonstrations on Monday 29 August and 4 September for a return to constitutional order in the face of the “unilateral management of the transition” by the military junta.
The movement postponed this decision after talks with ECOWAS officials and some presidents of the conference of heads of state of the West African organisation.
“During these discussions, the differences arising from the conduct of the transition in Guinea were addressed.
”The FNDC, which is very attentive to its partners and concerned about the success of this transition, is in favour of dialogue and peace, agreed to the request of the Conference of Heads of State of Ecowas, but also of the Christians of Guinea to suspend these peaceful citizen demonstrations, for the rapid return to constitutional order, scheduled for Monday 29 August and Sunday 4 September, the day of prayer for our Christian compatriots,” explained Sékou Koundono, one of the leaders of the FNDC, on RFI.
ODL/cgd/lb/as/APA