EU-erklæring om presidentvalget i Guinea 18. oktober 2020

In the run-up to the election on 18 October, the EU shares the concerns already expressed by regional and international actors regarding the conditions under which it is being organised.

The EU deplores the violence and clashes that accompanied the elections in March 2020, claiming several lives, and calls on the authorities to carry out independent and thorough investigations so that those responsible can be prosecuted. The EU calls for respect for civil liberties, in particular the right of every citizen to demonstrate peacefully and in a law-abiding way, without interference, and to express political opinions without being arrested or imprisoned. Following the Constitutional Court’s approval of the candidates on 9 September 2020, it is now imperative that the competent authorities and institutions in Guinea guarantee that the electoral process is impartial, transparent, inclusive and fair, that it is supported by the citizens, and that the results of the election are credible and accepted by all.

It is important to avoid violence and a deterioration of the situation before, during and after the election. In this context, the EU reaffirms its full support for all initiatives by ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations and the International Organisation of La Francophonie which aim to defuse tensions and re-establish dialogue between the parties with a view to strengthening the electoral framework. In this context it welcomes the tripartite mission by ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations to Conakry on 1 and 2 October.

The EU therefore calls on all of the political class and of civil society, as well as the relevant administrations, to engage with one another in a constructive and peaceful way in order to ensure that this electoral process is consensual and transparent and contributes to lasting reconciliation among all Guineans. In particular it encourages the authorities to take initiatives to help to calm the political atmosphere. In that context, measures such as the resolution of the disputed local elections held in February 2018 and the release of all jailed opponents would create an atmosphere that is conducive to dialogue.