Security threats persist, Secretary-General says

Guinea-Bissau faces its biggest security threat from the activities on its northern border of the Mouvement des forces democratiques de Casamance, which is fighting for independence for southern Senegal, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in his latest report on the situation in the country. “Armed skirmishes between rival factions of the MFDC continue, sometimes on Bissau-Guinean territory, and have caused additional security problems, especially when innocent civilians have been killed or hurt as a side effect of the fighting,” he reported to the Security Council on 22 June. Annan said that since March, when he issued his last report on the country, Guinea-Bissau also saw prolonged and considerable friction between President Kumba Yala and the legislature over the appointment of Prime Minister Faustino Imbali, further indicating the fragile state of the country’s democratic process. He added that tensions have remained in the armed forces following a failed bid by General Ansumane Mane, now late, to take over the military in November 2000 and concerns about the security of the borders. A long history of armed conflict, economic stagnation and poverty have resulted in young people being increasingly exposed to illegal arms and crimes, in addition to widespread prostitution and higher risks of HIV infection. Annan said previous reports had stressed the need to provide financial assistance to stabilise the country’s fragile democratic institutions and noted that “significant contributions” had been made by donor governments and organisations. “As the present report indicates, however, much more remains to be done,” he said.