Monrovia- President George Menneh Weah has called for immediate restoration of the Government of Guinea under a constitutionally-elected President and Government. He made the statement today at a special extraordinary virtual submit of the Authority of ECOWAS heads of state and government on the political situation in Guinea and Mali.

The Liberian leader said Liberia knows how painful it is to live under international sanctions imposed on a country because of a military coup; “we are aware of what it means when the Constitution is suspended and the expected goods and services from good governance are un-delivered to the people” President Weah Stressed.

Here is His Full statement below:

REMARKS BY

HIS EXCELLENCY DR. GEORGE MANNEH WEAH
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA

DELIVERED AT THE EXTRAORDINARY VIRTUAL SUMMIT OF THE AUTHORITY OF ECOWAS HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN GUINEA AND MALI

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

Your Excellency Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President of the Republic of Ghana
and Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government;

Distinguished Colleagues of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government;

Mr. President of the ECOWAS Commission and Other Officials of ECOWAS Institutions;

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel;

Honorable Ministers and Other Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Let me express thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, and Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, for prudently and timely using his good offices in calling for this Extraordinary Summit on the Political Situation in Guinea and Mali.

We have taken due note of the Statements just made on the situation in Guinea by ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations, that call for the urgent and immediate restoration of constitutional and democratic order in the Republic of Guinea. Liberia stands aligned with the positions of these organizations, of which we are a founding member.

EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

As you are all aware, my country Liberia is today a post-coup and post-war success story. However, it is important, particularly on this somber occasion, that I remind you that Liberia has learned

the bitter lessons of a military coup d’état and its aftermath, which includes the suspension of fundamental freedoms under military rule.

Liberia also knows how painful it is to live under international sanctions imposed on a country because of a military coup; we are aware of what it means when the Constitution is suspended and the expected goods and services from good governance are un-delivered to the people.

Liberia understands what it means when such deprivations exacerbate poverty, deepen inequality, and make the political and security situation ripe for civil war.

Liberia also knows how civil wars can cause massive humanitarian crises that lead to the collapse of the state, the complete break-down of law and order, and forced migration of our citizens to neighboring and other faraway states.

And Liberia has experienced – and is continuing to experience – the enormous economic and social costs of reconstruction and rebuilding of infrastructure and human capital from scratch.

Based on these unfortunate and negative experiences, it is understandable that Liberia has taken a strong zero-tolerance stance against military coups d’état in our region, because of the retrogression that they cause. We can say, with certainty, that there is no better substitute for good governance than constitutional democracy, no matter how difficult and challenging the circumstances.

Liberia and Guinea are fraternal neighbors bound by history, geography, culture, and geopolitics, among other factors. We share a 320-mile border from the Makona River to the Nimba Mountains. Our people are inter-related in terms of social and linguistic lineages and customs. And we are founding members, including Sierra Leone, now Cote d’Ivoire, of the Mano River Union, that aims to integrate trade and economic development in our sub-region.

For these neighborly reasons, when the news of the coup in Guinea broke out on Sunday, September 5, 2021, Liberia was obliged to call for calm on all sides, while expressing the need for an urgent restoration of civilian and constitutional rule, consistent with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and the unconditional release of Professor Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea.

In the meantime, we have already sent our troops to various checkpoints along the border, to assist any of our citizens, as well as any of our Guinean sisters and brothers, who may need to cross over to our side as a result of the current situation.

Excellencies, the urgent task before us now is to act, based on precedence, and all the facilities at our disposal, to send out a clear message about our zero-tolerance for the military coup d’état in Guinea, and to call for the immediate restoration of the Government of Guinea under the constitutionally-elected President and Government.

In my view, the way forward now is to devise a seamless path to the restoration of constitutional democracy in Guinea. To accomplish this, I would like to proffer a suggestion that we benefit from lessons learned in Mali so far based on the efforts of the ECOWAS Mediator.

At a certain point, the situation was characterized by a seeming lack of genuine communication and consultation among stakeholders about the transitional road map. This led to a second coup d’état whose aftermath we are now trying to manage. In addressing the Guinean situation, we must learn the lesson from that breakdown in communication and consultation which occurred in dealing with Mali.

Meetings should therefore be held with all prominent Guinean stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organizations, women, and youth groups, with the objective of incorporating citizens voices in the resolution of the political crisis in Guinea.

In this respect, I recommend that we utilize all the instruments at our disposal, as recommended by the President of Commission, including the urgent setting up of a Mediation Committee of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on the Political Situation of Guinea, under the chair of an eminent States-person, as Chief Mediator.

As a neighboring state with intertwined historical, cultural, and social ties with Guinea, Liberia stands ready to utilize its good offices to be part of the Mediation Committee recommended by the President of the Commission.

EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

Regarding the update on the transitional process in Mali, let me extend our heartfelt congratulations to our Chair and the Mediator, Former President Goodluck Jonathan, for his detailed Report.

It is apparent from his briefing that what transpired in Mali and the situation on our hands now in Guinea have challenged the democratic and good governance principles of ECOWAS. Such a retrogression should be strongly resisted by the ECOWAS Authority.

It is likely that the situation in Mali has strong similarities with the current events in Guinea, in the sense that both events were allegedly caused by deep mistrusts between political authorities and the military. It is therefore necessary for the Authority to find a sustainable solution to the crises in Mali and Guinea by comprehending the factors that trigger such mistrusts, thereby leading to recurring coups d’état in the respective States.

We need to be concerned about the root causes, and the number and frequency of coups d’etat which have recently occurred in the ECOWAS region.

Is it possible that there could be a correlation between these events and the political situations where constitutions are amended by incumbents to remove term limits through referendums?

Or could this be a mere coincidence?

If the removal of term limits are serving as a trigger for the overthrow of constitutionally-elected Governments, then perhaps we in ECOWAS should exert our best efforts to ensure that the term limits in the Constitutions of all member states should be respected.

EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

I have been consistent in my stance against the unconstitutional removal of democratically-elected Governments. This was my position in Mali, and this is my position today in the current Guinean crisis.

Let me close by reiterating the urgent need to resolve the unfolding crisis in Guinea, so as to avert the bitter experiences of the aftermath of a coup d’état that we have brought to your esteemed attention. We should also remain seized of the political situation in Mali until an amicable and sustainable conclusion of its transition process is realized.

I thank you.