UN Concerned Over Instability, Misuse of Funds in Guinea-BissauThe UN Security Council on Tuesday voiced concern over the unstable political, economic and social situation in Guinea-Bissau, where national funds are being misused and tensions are rising along the country's northern border.In a statement read to the press here, the president of the council, Wang Yingfan of China, said, "Members of the council expressed concern over tensions at border areas with Senegal, and the government's inability -- due to a lack of resources -- to go forward with the restructuring of the armed forces and with the demobilization and reintegration program." Earlier, the 15-nation council met in closed consultations to hear a briefing by Youssef Mahmoud, a senior U.N. official in charge of African affairs, while considering the latest report by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the U.N. Peace-Building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS). Council members expressed their concern about "the serious misappropriation of funds of the national treasury" and welcomed efforts by the government and the parliament of Guinea-Bissau to shed light on their practices, the statement said. They also reaffirmed their support for the efforts by the government and people of Guinea-Bissau to promote national reconciliation, strengthen democratic institutions "to uphold the rule of law in the face of mounting challenges both inside and outside the country and to improve relations with its neighbors," said the statement. Reiterating their call on the international community to continue to assist the Guinea-Bissau government in its economic rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, council members encouraged the Bretton Woods institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, to pursue their constructive policy towards the country. They also urged the international community to provide generous contributions for promoting peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau. Guinea-Bissau's parliament on Tuesday called unanimously for those responsible for a massive embezzlement of state funds to be prosecuted, reports said. Prime Minister Faustino Imbali said at the weekend that some 800 million CFA francs (1.04 million U.S. dollars) had disappeared from the West African country's treasury in May out of total revenue of 1.4 billion CFA (1.81 million dollars). |
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