Umaro Sissoco Embaló made the announcement during the national flag swearing-in ceremony of new soldiers and police officers which he named "Incorporation of Order and Discipline."
Speaking at a military parade at the military instruction center of Cumeré, in northern Guinea-Bissau, 36 kilometers from Bissau, Embaló urged the military and police to work so that "there is peace, stability, order and discipline" in the country.
"People are saying that they are prohibited from demonstrating in public, from today everyone is allowed to march. Whoever wants to go. Where is the problem", questioned the Guinean President.
Sissoco Embaló stated that "there has to be order and discipline" in Guinea-Bissau, but stressed that it is up to the police to ensure that this is the case.
Since January, the Public Order Police, through the voice of the national commissioner, Salvador Soares, announced the ban on demonstrations, marches or popular rallies in Guinea-Bissau, allegedly for security reasons.
On several occasions, the Guinean police dispersed, using tear gas grenades and batons, actions of the type attempted by opposition parties or civil society organizations.
Umaro Sissoco Embaló said that those bans ended today, but left a warning: "the Constitution of the Republic says that you cannot demonstrate 500 meters close to the Palace of the Republic".
The Guinean President stated that "the coups d'état are over" in the country and that citizens must understand that "Guinea-Bissau belongs to all its children".
Embaló recalled the coup d'état of November 14, 1980, in which, he said, the current military leaders participated, among others, but praised the fact that it was "a necessary coup."
Embaló stated that the deposed regime then "murdered many Guineans, buried in mass graves" and also stated that the current military leaders "will never participate in a coup d'état again" because they were "exemplary soldiers".
No comments:
Post a Comment