Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Guinea Bissau and the Self-proclaimed Military Junta

• Country/entity

  Guinea-Bissau
  
• Region

  Africa (excl MENA)
  
• Agreement name

  Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Guinea Bissau and the Self-proclaimed Military Junta
• Date

  26 Jul 1998
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( Guinea-Bissau Civil War (1998 - 1999) )
• Stage

  Pre-negotiation/process
• Conflict nature

  Government
• Peace process

  Guinea Bissau peace process
• Parties

  Unsigned transcript of the agreement but parties are as follows:
  For the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Signature)
  For the self-proclaimed military junta (Signature)
• Third parties

  Unsigned transcript of the agreement but parties are as follows:
  For the Contact Group (Signature) [Summary: the Ministerial Contact Group of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries is comprised of the following member states: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, (Guinea-Bissau), Mozambique, Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe].
• Description

  A signed agreement made between the government of Guinea Bissau and the military junta declaring an immediate truce and outlining a process for negotiations. The agreement includes an Annex of 26 July 1998 concerning the understanding on (and implementation of) point 1 (c) of the memorandum of understanding, and a declaration by the self-proclaimed military junta in which they state their intention to lay down arms.

• Agreement document

  GW_980726_MoUGuineaBissau-SelfProclaimedJunta.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Memorandum of understanding

Following consultations carried out by the Ministerial Contact Group of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries from 24 to 26 July 1998, the Government of Guinea-Bissau and the self-proclaimed military junta, with the aim of re-establishing peace and relieving the suffering of the people, agree to the following:

1. An immediate truce based on the following principles:

Public recognition of the democratic institutions and their legal framework;

Cessation of hostilities;

Freezing of military positions occupied by the two parties on the morning of 24 July 1998, there being no movement permitted by either force in relation to the other, nor an increase in armaments or military personnel;

Deployment of a military observer or an interpositional force, preferably from Portuguese-speaking countries;

Immediate opening of humanitarian corridors;

Cessation of hostile propaganda;

The truce enters into force at 1500 hours on 28 July 1998.

2. An immediate start to negotiations on the basis of the following points:

Start of negotiations:

within eight days.

Site:

The first meeting will take place aboard the frigate of the Portuguese Navy, "Corte Real", and the subsequent meetings will be held on the island of Sal in the Republic of Cape Verde.

Participants:

The Government and the self-proclaimed military junta, assisted by the Contact Group of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, with the participation of the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity, the Economic Community of West African States and the European Union.

Agenda:

To be submitted by the Contact Group of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries following consultations with the parties.

Bissau, 26 July 1998

For the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau

(Signature)

For the self-proclaimed military junta (Signature)

For the Contact Group

(Signature)

Annex of 26 July 1998 concerning the understanding on point 1 (c) of the memorandum of understanding between the Government of Guinea-Bissau and the self-proclaimed military junta

With a view to implementing point 1 (c) of the memorandum of understanding between the Government of Guinea-Bissau and the self-proclaimed military junta of 26 July 1998, establishing a formal and immediate truce and the start of negotiations, the two parties agree to:

Maintain their respective military positions from the moment of the entry into force of the truce envisioned in the memorandum of understanding;

Pledge to withdraw their respective forces from the Mansoa sector once the interpositional or observation force has been deployed in the aforementioned sector.

That interpositional or observation force will assume and guarantee the demilitarization of the Mansoa sector until such a time as a final solution has been reached through a process of negotiation, also envisioned in the aforementioned memorandum.

Bissau, 26 July 1998

For the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Signature)

For the self-proclaimed military junta

(Signature)

For the Contact Group

(Signature)

Declaration

Before the Contact Group of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, the military junta declares its intention to lay down arms under conditions to be defined within the framework of the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Bissau, 26 July 1998

For the self-proclaimed military junta

(Signature)

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