Guinea coup: Osinbajo to represent Buhari at ECOWAS meeting in Ghana

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will represent President Muhammadu Buhari at a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the political situation in Guinea and Mali. 

The meeting will be held on Sunday (today) in Accra, Ghana’s capital city.

In September, Alpha Conde, Guinea president, was ousted from office and detained by military forces led by Mamady Doumbouya.

The incident drew international condemnation, and the African Union (AU) suspended the West African country in reaction to the development.

In Mali, following the coup that overthrew President Ibrahim Keita in August 2020, a political transition — which will take 18 months — has been underway in the West African country since September 15.

In a statement on Sunday, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo’s spokesman, said the meeting will review the political situation in the two countries.

“Today’s Extraordinary meeting, which will be the third on the same agenda this year, will assess previous resolutions and further review the political situation in the Republics of Guinea and Mali,” the statement reads.

“Prof. Osinbajo had participated at the 2nd ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in Guinea and Mali held on 16th September in Accra, Ghana. Before that, he also attended a virtual ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit held on 8th September on the same agenda.

“Nigeria’s position on the situation in Guinea had been restated by Prof. Osinbajo at the summit, urging for the unconditional release of President Alpha Condé and calling for more pressure to be put on the country’s military leaders to return the nation to democratic rule.

“Vice President Osinbajo, who leaves Abuja this morning, would be joined by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, and is expected back in Abuja later today.”