This is a country in the Western wing of the African continent whom saw their independence from Portugal in Nineteen seventy four. Guinea post their multi-party legislative and presidential elections has never seen an elected leader finishing his term. From time immemorial there always rises a tag of war, worse with the army also taking sides. We have seen coup after coup. Recently we have observed a change of more than four Prime Ministers over fifteen months. A place where a seating President of Liberia who is also chairperson of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) President Sirleaf had to intervene. This was just after former Nigerian President Ousegun Obasanjo could not be heard. African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which is the ruling political party must be to told to assist the situation. Their failure can only leave the people of Gunea-Bissau suffering and continuing to die. Their failure can only make us to continue asking ‘ What is it about Africa and the ever shooting gun’?
In twenty fourteen, as a continent we celebrated when we saw elections taking place and a new president sworn in. We were hopeful that this small Western country would eventually craft a path of developing their country. Of recent; the President whom by constitution leads the State while the Prime minister leads government had fired his then Prime Minister. President José Mário Vaz was not happy about the appointment of ministers amongst other issues and this led to him removing the then Prime minister Domingos Pereira. Both gentleman came from the same political party. Their fallout managed to divide PAIGC and caused serious political and governance tensions. Or perhaps these fall-outs always showed cracks which were ignored? This rendered the state dis-functional.
The failure of both deployees from the same political party to resolve their differences must be condemned. For after all they are there to deliver on a mandate which binds them organizationally. The ruling political party should have saved such tensions before they got out of hand. The electorate trusted the ruling party with their vote. They gave them a political mandate. PAIGC owes the people of Guinea some respect and peace. If their deployees are causing tensions, this must be solved. Arrogance will not assist. They are at a very fragile state and serious
mediation is needed.
A year later after removing Prime minister and having had several ministers serving for a short time, a new prime minister has been sworn in. Prime Minister Umaro Sissocco was recently sworn in on the thirteenth of December. This however transpired a midst other sectors disapproving and expressing descent, in the main the ruling political party PAIGC. With the reality being that no leader can be celebrated by all, the President in his constitutional right of appointing a Prime Minister will never satisfy every body. The problem arises because the Prime minister must enjoy popular support in parliament and in this case, from the majority party being PAIGC. Now that PAIGC is complaining we worry. The people of Guinea must surely decide on what it is that they want? The ruling political party must take a political decision to compromise on other issues, even the president must be party to this.
This country has a serious problem of drug abuse amongst its youth. In recent years we kept observing as they seemed to be on the right track of fighting drug trafficking. This runs a risk of being reversed. They need stability so as to be able to fight this problem which continues to harm its people. War is the last thing they need. The problem with poor political stability is that lawlessness can not be halted, criminals do as they wish and no one bothers to enforce the law. While leaders are busy fighting over who must appoint who, who is more closer to resources the
people are Guinea are suffering. This must come to an end. ECOWAS must be heard as they provide support and recommending solutions. At the end, their solution lies with them, them alone can decide to craft a path of
lasting peace or ignore the crisis. In ignoring this time ticking bomb, they will suffer more before the pinch is felt by the rest of the continent!
Rhulani Thembi Siweya is the founder of Africa Unmasked, she is also an
NEC member of the ANCYL and writes in her personal capacity.
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