In its continuous effort to facilitate the transition from military rule to rule-of-law in Guinea, IFES prepared two studies that were officially presented to the Prime Minister and the National Transition Council. One of the studies gives recommendations on how to strengthen Guinea’s legal system through the Supreme Court and other judicial bodies. The other gives suggestions on how to restructure Guinea’s National Assembly so that democracy may take root in the country.

Both of these papers may be accessed here.
IFES in Guinea and BEFORE study National Assembly
IFES in Guinea and BEFORE Study Supreme Court

These papers are part of the work IFES is doing with the global peace building consortium BEFORE. IFES’ work with BEFORE includes research on key institutions, such as the Supreme Court, National Assembly and the armed forces, to guide the new government and transition structures.

Among IFES’ work with BEFORE are a series of sponsored talks and roundtables targeting the youth of all political allegiances in several highly sensitive localities. The need for this type of dialogue became increasingly obvious following worrisome violent social unrest last month in N’Zérékoré, a city in the parrot’s beak area bordering with Sierra Leone and Liberia. BEFORE, in partnership with IFES and the regional civil society network, responded by sponsoring a series of talks to discuss important issues and foster a sense that communication instead of violence can resolve them.

IFES has also provided other platforms for dialogue to assist the National Transition Council in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Joint Declaration. This declaration, signed January 15 between by former junta leader Dadis Camara, his successor Général Sékouba Konaté and mediator Blaise Compaoré, defines the new administration’s mandate during these six months before the Guinean population elects its new leader. This declaration gives hope that Guinea will transition away from decades of undemocratic rule as it paves the way for the establishment of credible institutions that are able to sustain rule of law.