The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday condemned the twin assassinations of the president and army chief of staff in Guinea-Bissau and appealed for calm and restraint in the days ahead. “The Security Council calls on the government of Guinea-Bissau to bring to justice those responsible for these violent acts. It calls upon the government, political leaders, the armed forces and people of Guinea-Bissau to remain calm, exercise restraint, maintain stability and constitutional order and respect the rule of law and the democratic process, the 15-member body charged with maintaining international peace and security said in a presidential statement. The adoption of a presidential statement requires consensus among Council members but, unlike a resolution, is not legally binding. The Council welcomed condemnations from the U.N. secretary general, the EU and other regional groups. Guinea-Bissau President Joao Bernardo Vieira was assassinated by soldiers on Monday hours after a bomb killed the army chief Tagme Na Waie. The U.N. has a peacebuilding mission in Guinea-Bissau aimed mostly at supporting legislative and presidential elections.
