The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has released a strongly worded statement, condemning the assassination of the president of Guinea Bissau, Joao Bernardo Nino Viera, which development occurred early hours of yesterday morning. President Viera's death followed the killing, earlier.

In a press release received from the Ecowas bureau, the chairman of the regional body, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar' Adua, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, expressed concern and sadness over the situation in the former Portuguese colony.

The release stated that the chairman received with "deep concern and sadness, news of the assassination of His Excellency, Joao Bernardo Nino Viera, president of the Republic of Guinea - Bissau, and General Tagme Na Waie, chief of defence staff of the armed forces of Guinea-Bissau."

According to the release, the murder of the president and head of the army are condemned in the strongest of terms as reprehensible and as acts that undermine democracy, peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau. The fragile political situation in the country has been further weakened by these events, it went on, and added: "This is regretted as it comes at a time when the West African region is making a forward march in the development of democratic governance."

The release added that President Yar' Adua emphasised the importance of constitutional succession to the presidency after the unfortunate events, calling on the armed forces and other security agencies in the country to desist from any actions likely to plunge the country further into lawlessness and political instability.

He urged "all peace-loving citizens of Guinea-Bissau" to exercise a high sense of responsibility and moderation in their actions and utterances at this critical and testing period in their national life. The release went on to say that the chairman of the regional body will dispatch a foreign ministerial delegation to Bissau comprising ministers from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia and Senegal, and to be accompanied by the president of the Ecowas Commission, on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. The delegation, accordingly, will engage all stakeholders in an effort to restore confidence among the political actors, civil society and security services and return the country to constitutional normalcy.

President Yar' Adua also expressed deep condolences to the families and love ones of the late President Joao Bernardo Vieira and General Tagme and to the entire people of Guinea-Bissau on their tragic demise. He paid tribute to them, describing them as patriots who had fought for the liberation of the country from colonial rule and served in the post-independence period to build the country. He entreated the people of Guinea-Bissau to take their demise, "as tragic as it is," as an opportunity for national reconciliation and unity.