Editing Office -  Geneva

The UN Security Council says political actors in Guinea-Bissau must demonstrate renewed good faith to hold “genuinely free and fair elections” to break the cycle of instability in the country.

The 15-member Security Council in a statement warned that the country was set to face a continuous cycle of instability unless the political actors commit to holding a free and fair poll.The Council expressed regret that the country did not hold elections as planned on Nov. 18, and voiced “deep concern” over preparations for the polls, now scheduled for March 10, 2019.Holding “genuinely free and fair” elections on the revised date across the small West African nation, bordering Senegal, is vital to preserve the “still fragile gains” in the path to stability in the country, the Council members said.“Legislative elections are a fundamental step in resuming sustainable and nationally owned reforms and should take place prior to the presidential elections foreseen in 2019,” they added.The Council members also reiterated the important role of ECOWAS in supporting peacebuilding and sustaining peace in Guinea-Bissau, commending the regional bloc for its “determination” to hold accountable all those who deliberately obstructed the smooth conduct of the electoral process.Security Council members also recalled the implementation of the October 2016 Conakry Agreement, the primary framework for a peaceful resolution of the political crisis in the country, noting its importance to ensure political stability and build sustainable peace in Guinea-Bissau.Council members also commended the country’s defence and security forces for their “continued non-interference” in the politics of Guinea-Bissau and strongly urged them to continue in that vein.They also encouraged the continuation of the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau through the end of the electoral cycle in 2019 to maintain stability in the country and invited international partners to support ECOWAS in that regard.The Council’s statement followed a briefing, last week, by Taye-Brook Zerihoun, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Ambassador Mauro Vieira of Brazil to the UN on the developments in the country.