The transitional government in Guinea-Bissau has clarified that it was responsible for canceling the mission of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), which was due to visit the country between February 18 and 21.
According to Lusa, the mission was to be led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Timor-Leste, Benedito dos Santos Freitas. Dili (capital of Timor-Leste), however, had stated that the cancellation came from the Timorese authorities.
The episode marks a new point of tension in relations between Timor-Leste and Guinea-Bissau, which now extends to the CPLP itself.
In a letter sent on Friday, February 13, to the Government of Timor-Leste, the head of diplomacy of the transitional government, João Bernardo Vieira, stated that he would not authorize the CPLP mission to travel to Bissau for two reasons: on the one hand, because the current Guinean authorities do not recognize Timor-Leste’s status as the country holding the rotating presidency of the Portuguese-speaking community. On the other hand, due to the climate of diplomatic tension between Dili and Bissau.
The transitional authorities in Guinea-Bissau are contesting the decision to appoint Timor-Leste to take over the presidency of the CPLP from Guinea-Bissau, which was suspended from the organization following the military coup on November 26. Until there is, according to Bissau, a formal clarification of the legal and political framework applicable in these circumstances, the transitional government considers that it makes no sense to accept the presence of a CPLP mission in the country.
In the same letter addressed to his Timorese counterpart, Benedito dos Santos Freitas, João Bernardo Vieira also states that he only learned of the visit “through the media,” claiming that there was no prior consultation with the new authorities. The Guinean foreign minister also emphasizes that the decision not to allow the mission to enter was taken in Bissau, a position that contrasts with the version presented by Timor-Leste, which maintains that it was the Timorese government itself that canceled the trip.
João Bernardo Vieira says that Guinea-Bissau cannot accept a good offices mission led by Timor-Leste, citing as an example recent statements by Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, who on Wednesday (11) described Guinea-Bissau as a “failed state.” The Guinean transitional government considers these statements to be an act of open hostility and a show of disrespect.
“We went to help set up the entire system, namely the CNE [National Electoral Commission] (…), to hold the first democratic elections in Guinea-Bissau. But after that, they returned with a military coup or coup d’état. We are no longer talking about a fragile state, we are talking about a failed state,” said Gusmão.
The Guinean transitional government condemned Xanana Gusmão’s statements. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered that “the statements reveal a lack of dignity and political and moral stance” on the part of Gusmão “to assess the institutional reality” of the country.
“Xanana Gusmão, like José Ramos-Horta, has a history of public controversies that undermine the authority with which they speak about the governance of other states,” the statement emphasized.
Meanwhile, Xanana Gusmão apologized on Monday (16) to the Guinean transitional government for his statements, Correio da Manhã reported.
“I apologize to the transitional government of Guinea-Bissau. I do not defend myself. I bow deeply, but the President of the Republic [José Ramos-Horta] and I have already decided not to send the mission,” the leader told reporters.
In December, Timor-Leste assumed the presidency of the CPLP, which was withdrawn from Guinea-Bissau after the coup d’état in the African country on November 26, which deposed then-President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and interrupted the electoral process, preventing the release of the results of the November 23 general elections.
