Envoy 'discouraged' in Bissau
2003-10-27 14:29
Bissau - A senior United Nations official painted a gloomy picture on Sunday of conditions in Guinea Bissau at the end of a week-long visit to the west African nation, saying there was little cause for optimism.
"The economic, political and social situation of the country is not very encouraging," Youssef Mahmoud, director of the Africa division of the UN political affairs office, told reporters.
Mahmoud arrived on October 18 for a visit aimed at redefining the mandate of the UN Peace-building and Support Group in Guinea Bissau (Unogbis).
This was established at the end of the political and military unrest from June 1998 to May 1999 with the task of putting into place machinery for consolidating peace and national reconciliation.
Mahmoud acknowledged that efforts had been made, in particular by international institutions, to help the country out of its crisis "but they have not yielded palpable results".
The institutions, among them the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, "cannot act in the place" of the country but "can act together with it", he said. Much remained to be done in that direction, he added.
The mandate of Unogbis was due to expire at the end of 2002 but was extended to December 2003.
A UN source said it would be further extended until the transition process in the country is completed in 18 months.
This process follows a bloodless coup that overthrew the government of former president Kumba Yala on September 14. On September 23 an interim president and prime minister were appointed and five days later a national transition council installed.
The new authorities have two main tasks: getting the administration working again and organising general elections within six months, to be followed by a presidential poll a year later.