Guinea Bissau Rules Out ‘Laissez-Passer’ between Gambia and Bissau

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By: Kebba AF Touray

The President Elect for Guinea Bissau, His Excellency, Umaro Sissoco Embalóu, has told journalists that with the coming into office of his regime, there will be no laissez passer between Gambia and Guinea Bissau.

President Embalou’ said this on Monday at the State House in Banjul, during a press briefing with Gambian journalists, as part of his current visit to his Gambian Counterpart President Adama Barrow.

He said: “I have come to the Gambia to seek advice from my big brother (Adama Barrow) and to also officially invite him to attend my inauguration, slated for February 19th 2020. I have also come to confirm that the Gambia will be one of our major partners in the sub region to work with”.

He clarified, “Today the High Court of Guinea Bissau has confirmed my victory and Gambia, Senegal and Guinea Bissau, should work together as they have to strengthen the ties among them and help in the maintenance of peace and stability in Bissau”.

He reiterated the need for Banjul and Bissau to work together as it is crucial in the restoration and maintenance of peace in Bissau. He assured that Guinea Bissau will change for the better, noting that the peace and stability of every nation, lies on the shoulders of its citizenry

He said: “Our generation will not repeat the same mistakes, because I know the kind of populate that elected me and if I look at the conditions of the people during the campaign, I am always motivated to avert repetition of the past mistakes”.

He cited Banjul and Bissau will work in all spheres of development including Education, Agriculture and Health among others. He said the two nation will exchange teachers between the two nations to teach English and Portuguese.

He remarked “I think Guinea Bissau and Gambia have a lot of things to do together in many sectors and to learn from Gambia’s’ experience in Tourism and the business community. I told President Barrow that once I am sworn in, there will be no ‘laissez passer’ between Gambia and Bissau”.

He stated that the issue of security is paramount, noting without security there cannot be peace and stability and that iBissau and Banjul are committed to working together in the area of security, citing that an enemy of either nation is an enemy of another, adding that the two countries are brothers which dates back to history.