MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Guinea

20.10.2009

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Adam Bielan, Charles Tannock, Ryszard Czarnecki, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Tomasz Piotr Poręba on behalf of the ECR Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0102/2009

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B7‑0123/2009

European Parliament resolution on Guinea

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Guinea,

- having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A. whereas on 23 December 2008, the day after the death of President Lansana Conté, a group of military officers seized power and as a result Captain Moussa Dadis Camara became the unelected leader of the country declaring a curbing of corruption, preventing drug trafficking, improving army discipline and organising elections for next year, in a bid to justify the transfer power; whereas this military coup was condemned by the international community,

B. Whereas Captain Dadis Camara announced that neither him nor any other member of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) he is heading, will stand for presidential elections, and whereas recently he has already shown some signs that he might reconsider his position,

C. Whereas under international pressure, the military junta initially announced it will be holding legislative and presidential elections by the end of 2009, which have now been postponed to January 2010,

D. Whereas the junta has led the country into a worsening economic situation and has even provoked the dissatisfaction of the population and potentially dangerous unrest amongst army elements,

E. Whereas on 28 of September 2009 about 50,000 people demonstrated against the junta,

F. Whereas on 28 September 2009, more than 150 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded after soldiers opened fire indiscriminately on anti-government opposition protesters in the soccer stadium in the capital, Conakry, and according to witnesses soldiers also raped women in the streets; whereas at least two opposition leaders (Cellou Dallein Diallo and Sydia Touré, former Prime Minister) have been attacked and arrested,

G. Notes the Chinese – Guinean mining deal agreed just a week after soldiers opened fire on protesters in a Conakry stadium worth according to the Guinean military junta over seven billion US dollars,

H. Whereas there is no justification for the military assuming the role by force of government in any nation,

I. Whereas it should be for the people of Guinea and their representatives to decide democratically on the political, economic and social future of the country,

J. Whereas Guinea is classified by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in Africa,

K. Whereas the International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into the Guinean military's brutal suppression of an anti-government protest;

 

1. Condemns last year’s seizure of power by a group of military officers and is concerned by the increasingly violent political climate in Guinea ;

2. Condemns the recent use of force to disperse the demonstrations and brutal, violent and shocking crackdown on opposition protestors as well as alleged massacres of civilians;

3. Call for an immediate and thorough investigation of these incidents and stresses that those responsible must be criminally prosecuted;

4. Stresses that the actions of the Guinean authorities are a clear violation of the Cotonou Agreement, as provided for in Article 9 of the Agreement, to which the Government of Guinea is a signatory;

5. Urges to uphold the rule of law, including respect for basic human rights and commitment to a peaceful and democratic restoration of civilian government through the early holding of credible and transparent elections;

6. Calls on the military junta to respect the right to freedom of opinion, expression and association, including the right to peaceful assembly, as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

7. Stresses that further prolonged military rule in Guinea may lead to a slide of the country into dictatorship and result in a civil war that could destabilise all of West Africa,

8. Deplores the fact that the Chinese government and both state-owned and private Chinese firms are largely indifferent to the human rights of citizens of countries they invests in;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the Guinean authorities, the UN Security Council, the institutions of the African Union, ECOWAS and the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.