An ECOWAS delegation led by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His 
Excellency Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, is due in Guinea Bissau on Monday, 16th 
April 2012 to deliver a special message from the Chairman of the Authority of 
Heads of State and Government to the military junta, reiterating the 
principled position of ECOWAS rejecting the military take-over of power on 
12th April and insisting on the immediate restoration of constitutional order.

The delegation comprises, among others, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 
Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and the Chiefs 
of Defence Staff of Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea and Nigeria.  

It will also include representatives of political officers from ECOWAS Member 
States and officials of the Commission.

The delegation will reaffirm ECOWAS' rejection of the coup which has been 
widely condemned by the international community, including the AU and UN, and 
impress on the junta to restore constitutional rule immediately.

In its strong reaction to the military coup, the ECOWAS Commission 
particularly expressed disappointment with the timing, coming just days after 
a joint ECOWAS-AU-UN mission had met with the military hierarchy to warn 
against any temptation to disrupt the on-going electoral process in the 
country. 

The statement warned that the coup makers would be held responsible for the 
safety and security of political leaders, the population, institutions, and 
property in the country and reminded them of the Community’s zero tolerance 
for power obtained by unconstitutional means, as enshrined in the 
Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. 

The ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, which met at the ministerial level 
just before the announcement of the coup, had also recommended the dispatch of 
a military contingent to Guinea Bissau to replace the departing Angolan 
Mission to ensure the effective implementation of the regional road map for 
the country's defence and security sector reform programme; secure persons and 
property during the scheduled 29th April 2012 presidential run-off election 
and ensure the sanctity of the electoral process. 

The Council also agreed on the dispatch of a mixed civilian-military 
delegation to Guinea Bissau under the auspices of the regional mediator, 
President Alpha Conde of Guinea, to meet with key stakeholders within the 
political class and the military so as to douse the political tension arising 
from the inconclusive first round presidential election of 18th March 2012 in 
the country.