Statement by the spokesperson of the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on Guinea Bissau

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, December 14, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The High Representative expresses her grave concern at the serious incident of 10 December in which a TAP-Air Portugal crew was compelled by a senior member of the transitional authorities of Guinea Bissau, accompanied by military personnel, to carry 74 presumed

Syrian nationals with illegal passports from Bissau to Lisbon, in complete disregard of international law.

This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the rule of law in Guinea Bissau and the willingness of the authorities themselves to respect it.

The HR calls on the transitional authorities to take urgently the appropriate measures to avoid any repetition of such incidents and to comply fully with their international and national legal obligations.

The High Representative also calls on the transitional authorities to honor their commitments to combat impunity and to organize free, fair and inclusive elections on 16 March 2014 allowing for the return to constitutional order, democracy and rule of law in Guinea-Bissau.