Honourable Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, MFR, Receives In Audience The Special Representative Of The UN Secretary-General In Guinea Bissau, Dr. Babafemi Badejo

Honourable Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, MFR, Receives In Audience The Special Representative Of The UN Secretary-General In Guinea Bissau, Dr. Babafemi Badejo....

Today, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ambassador Olugbenga A. Ashiru, MFR received in audience Dr. Babafemi Badejo, Chief of Staff of the UN Mission in Guinea-Bissau who brought a message from H.E. Jose Ramos-Horta, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Guinea-Bissau. The Envoy expressed appreciation for the role Nigeria has continued to play towards the restoration of constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau.

2. It will be recalled that Guinea-Bissau was in the process of conducting elections when the military overthrew the constitutional order on 12 April 2012. This incident resulted in the suspension of the country from all international organisations. However, with Guinea-Bissau's inability to form a Government well over a month after the coup, Nigeria, in close collaboration with ECOWAS, assisted in negotiations that resulted in the Transitional Government led by President Manuel Nhamadjo. Since then, Nigeria has provided various forms of assistance to Guinea Bissau to the value of $50 million (Fifty Million US Dollars).

3. H.E. Ramos-Horta, former President of East Timor and Nobel Laureate undertook his first visit on assuming office to Nigeria in February 2013. The Honourable Minister welcomed the recognition of the role of Nigeria in the world as shown by the visit and assured the Special Envoy that his message would be transmitted to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who has contributed enormously to the peace process in that country in his capacity as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS mediation effort in Guinea-Bissau.

Ogbole Amedu Ode
Spokesperson
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Abuja.