The President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaru Cisoko Emballo, was not invited to Tuesday’s inauguration of President Alpha Conde because of “his lack of courtesy” to the Guinean head of state, the Minister-Secretary General of the Guinean Presidency, Kiridi Bangoura, said on Monday.
According to the minister, who is also chairman of the inauguration sub-commission, Guinea has a problem of courtesy and diplomatic practice with Guinea-Bissau.
He told the media that this had “crossed the limits that govern the principles of good neighbourliness and the principles enshrined in the Vienna Convention of 1951”.
The president of Guinea-Bissau, known to be close to Mamadou Cellou Dalein Diallo, the main challenger of President Conde, has on several occasions condemned the third-term project of President Conde.
President Emballo also reproached President Conde, who had been appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to mediate between Guinea-Bissau’s political actors, for trying to eliminate him from the political game to the benefit of his opponents.
Well-informed sources in the Guinean capital say that the Congolese president, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who is very close to the two presidents, is expected at the inauguration and will try to iron out their differences.