Minister for Africa James Duddridge;

The UK is a long-standing partner of Guinea, and welcomes opportunities to deepen that partnership. We are concerned at the violence and civilian deaths leading up to and following the announcement of upcoming legislative elections and referendum on the constitution.

We urge the Government of Guinea to respect democratic institutions and all forms of human rights, including the right to peaceful protest. We encourage all parties to engage in constructive dialogue and refrain from using violence. We welcome any information from the enquiry into civilian deaths during recent demonstrations. The UK calls upon the Government of Guinea to ensure the elections and referendum are conducted in a fair and transparent way.

The UK will continue to work with the Government of Guinea, partners, and regional institutions to support Guinea’s democracy and stability and to improve the day to day lives of Guineans.