Apr
16
Portuguese warships depart towards Guinea Bissau
Filed Under EN
Reconnaissance aircraft P-3P Orion sent to Guinea Bissau. (Photo: Pedro Becken/marinha.pt/Stock File)
Portuguese warships depart towards Guinea Bissau
PORTUGAL
Monday, April 16, 2012, 22:50 (GMT + 9)
Four days after the military coup occurred in Guinea Bissau, the Government of Portugal decided to send members of the Immediate Reaction Force, consisting of a frigate, a corvette, a combat support ship and a reconnaissance aircraft P-3P Orion. The objective of this measure is to safeguard Portuguese citizens and fishermen and those from other nationalities living and working in the African country.
About 200 sailors from Galicia and 40 Spanish vessels (11 cephalopod ships from Galicia, 9 shrimp boats from Andalusia and several tuna shellfish) operate in waters from Guinea — a former Portuguese colony.
Besides, there are Spanish people working on land, as it was expressed by sources from the Galician fishing sector.
Anyway, it was clarified that most of the sailors fish in distant waters from the main port of Guinea Bissau “so the danger is really relative,” the newspaper Faro de Vigo reported.
Last February, the European Commission (EC) and the Government of Guinea Bissau signed a new fisheries agreement that allows the community fleet to continue fishing during further three years from 15 June, 2012, when the current deal expires.
During the negotiations, the parties agreed that the compensation to be paid by the European Union (EU) to be able to fish in the waters from Guinea amounts to EUR 9.2 million a year.
Since 1974, when Guinea Bissau gained independence from Portugal, there have been “military uprisings, coup attempts, murders and unclear elections,” the sources recalled.
On Friday, the military coup groups demanded the formation of an interim government and the call to elections.
Meanwhile, the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP) called on the coup leaders to return the power to civilians.
After an extraordinary meeting of ministers of the eight countries of the organization, which was also attended by a member of the deposed Guinean government, CPLP explained that “the initiative” was taken to constitute a force ensuring the continuity of the electoral process in the framework of the United Nations Organisation (UNO).
Related article:
– Fisheries agreement with Guinea Bissau renewed through 2015
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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