Editorial,

We received with deep sorrow and regret, news of the deaths of the president and army chief of staff of Guinea Bissau. We stand in solidarity with our brothers of this troubled country and those who stand in the defence of humanity to condemn in the strongest terms this acts of barbarism and decadence. No matter how bad the situation in a country might be, assassination is not in anyway the solution.

The people of Guinea Bissau should learn from their history and move at par with humanity. The vision of Amilca Cabral was not to build a Guinea of injustice; rather a country where civility and forbearance is the order of the day. Those days are gone when assassinations of public figures are viewed as the solutions to a country's woes. Today, sovereignty resides in the hands of the people; hence grievances are solved by popular consent.

It is unfortunate that Africa still cannot graduate from the politics of military interference. But what is of fundamental significance is for the African military to understand that their position is to defend the lives and properties of the people and not to use the guns to settle their grievances or take the law into their own hands. Killing of public figures can only bring anarchy and chaos in a society and this only impedes development.

Investigations should be launched without delay so that the perpetrators of these brutal acts can face the full force of the law. There should be no room for murder in our societies. The world has entered a stage in which democracy and freedom underpin societal life. The African Union and ECOWAS should also intervene and play a pivotal role to engender democracy in Guinea Bissau.

The people of Guinea Bissau, just like any other people, deserve the right to live in a peaceful and progressive country; with a representative government as well as a democratic system where they are given the chance to sanction their own political decisions. We must not sit back and allow military autocracy to ravage a country that once championed our decolonization process.

The killings of President Vieira and the army chief of staff are indeed the most unfortunate incidents of the year. Actions must quickly be taken to salvage the country. We re-echo the government's call on the Bissau Guineans to reconcile and work towards a brighter and more prosperous future.