Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Guinea-Bissau

Rival troops return to barracks

    BRAZZAVILLE

    Troops from the rival factions in Guinea Bissau have begun withdrawing from temporary quarters along their former front line around the capital and returning to their respective barracks, Lusa reported yesterday.

    The Portuguese news agency quoted a military source as saying that the withdrawal was aimed at earning “the trust of the people and the international community regarding the consolidation of the peace process”.

    A large section of the Guinea Bissau military rebelled last June against President Joao Bernardo Vieira. Vieira and the rebel Military Junta signed a peace accord in Abuja in November 1998, but fighting stopped only with a final ceasefire on 3 February. A government of national unity took office on 20 February.

    The pullout was decided by a joint military commission that includes representatives of the pro-Vieira forces and the Military Junta, and the West African ECOMOG peacekeeping force which is overseeing the peace process.

    Meanwhile, in a communique issued yesterday, Amnesty International accused both sides of committing abuses during the conflict, including arbitrary detentions, torture and summary executions.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join