Guinean organisations reject accusations over Dakar meeting
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on O Democrata
A collective of ten Guinean civic organisations has rejected accusations by the National Movement of Civil Society for Peace, Democracy and Development concerning a meeting held in Dakar on 19 October. The organisations also deny any involvement by the United Nations Development Programme and assert their legitimacy to take part in national debates, according to their statement published in Bissau.
Ten Guinean civil society organisations that took part in a high-level meeting in Dakar on 19 October have rejected accusations made by the National Movement of Civil Society for Peace, Democracy and Development. In a statement published on Saturday 24 October in Bissau, they said their participation was a matter of the right to civic engagement and that Guinean civil society had no exclusive representatives, O Democrata reports.
The collective also denies any involvement by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in selecting participants or organising the meeting. It says logistical and financial support was provided by the African Union Commission and the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, and describes the accusations against UNDP as false, according to O Democrata.
The organisations describe the Dakar meeting as a forum for discussions on restoring constitutional order, promoting human rights and strengthening inclusive dialogue in Guinea-Bissau. They say associations derive their legitimacy from their work with communities, not from authorisation by any particular platform, O Democrata reports.
