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UN Security Council extends peacebuilding mandate in Guinea-Bissau for another year

23 May 2013 03:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN Security Council on Wednesday extended the mandate of its peacebuilding office in Guinea-Bissau, also known as UNIOGBIS, until May 31, 2014, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In a resolution, the 15-nation body "condemns the violations and abuses of human rights, including political and civil rights" in the West African country, and "urges the Guinea-Bissau authorities to take all necessary measures to protect human rights, put an end to impunity, (and) initiate investigations to identify the perpetrators of such acts."

The mandate of the UNIOGBIS includes strengthening national institutions, upholding the rule of law, supporting the reconciliation process and assisting authorities to combat drug trafficking.

The Security Council reiterated its deep concern over the situation in the country after the military coup in April last year, and reemphasized the need to tackle the problem of drug trafficking.

Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau, a country with a history of coups, misrule and political instability since its independence in 1974, seized power on April 12, 2012.

The coup came ahead of a presidential run-off election slated for April 22 between Carlos Gomes Junior and former president Kumba Yala, prompting international calls for a quick return to civilian rule.

In its resolution, the UN body called upon all stakeholders to "revise the transitional political pact including setting technically feasible deadlines for the holding of free, fair and transparent presidential and legislative elections in line with national legislation and relevant international standards."

The current mandate of UNIOGBIS, which was established in 2010 to replace the previous peacebuilding support office known as UNOGBIS, expires later this month.