UN: Guinea-Bissau must start talks to end political crisis

The U.N. Security Council is urging key players in Guinea-Bissau to implement a road map to resolve the political crisis in the country that political leaders agreed to on Sept. 10.

Council members stressed “the urgent need to ensure an inclusive dialogue among key national actors to ensure effective functioning of the government.”

The council statement followed a briefing Tuesday by U.N. envoy Modibo Ibrahim Toure, who said that “despite the political crisis, Guinea-Bissau’s economic performance has been remarkable.”

He said the economy is estimated to have expanded by 5 per cent in 2016, reflecting a bumper cashew harvest, the country’s main export.

Guinea-Bissau has had so many coups and countercoups that no elected leader has been able to complete his term since the country won independence from Portugal in 1974.