National human rights week

Government officials, members of the judiciary, members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), diplomats and representatives of UN agencies on Monday attended the launch of National Human Rights Week in Bissau. At the launching ceremony, the representative of the UN Secretary-General, Samuel Nana-Sinkam, commended Guinea-Bissau's government and Military Junta for respecting the people's fundamental right to elect their representatives at legislative and presidential elections held on 28 November, a humanitarian source told IRIN. Nana-Sinkam said the electoral process gave an indication of the will of Guinea-Bissau's people and leaders to push forward the reconciliation process in the West African nation, where an 11-month army mutiny ended on 6-7 May with the overthrow of then president Joao Bernardo Vieira. A number of Vieira loyalists have been in detention since his overthrow and Nana-Sinkam called for the liberation of some of the detainees and the speedy trial of others. The source said Interim Prime Minister Francisco Fadul strongly criticised the country's Attorney-General at the launching ceremony, saying that it was known that some prisoners were being mistreated and accusing him of deliberately delaying the legal process. The National Human Rights Week activities include a five-minute message - broadcast on radio and television - by each UN agency present in the country on an aspect of human rights related to their work and a march by some 500 students to the main stadium in the capital where five of their number each read out an article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Representatives of the government, Military Junta, civil society and the international community are scheduled to participate in a ceremony marking the closure of the week on 10 December, International Human Rights Day.