Dakar
03 November 2009
Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore has chaired the first day of mediation talks in Ouagadougou between Guinea's military junta and other political groups.
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| Blaise Compaore, President of Burkina Faso (File) |
President Campaore has previously helped mediate peace in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire and is believed to have some influence on the leader of the ruling junta in Guinea.
President Campaore said the West African states must pull together to find a way out of the crisis in Guinea.
He says, the opposition groups are known together as the "Forces Vives."
Among the members is Lansana Kouyaté, who was the prime minister of Guinea under the late Lansana Conte's presidency.
"We came here because the president has been selected to be the facilitator," said Kouyaté. "How to get the way out of this crisis? If that is done by the Forces Vives, he is going to meet other counterparts to ask them the same questions, so he can make a kind of document which will comprise all diversions of points of view, and in that he will have something which will pave the way for the exit from this crisis."
He said the talks mark a first step.
"We have started with a small step, but that small step can bring us to a bigger step," continued Kouyaté. "I have always the confidence of my will and the pessimism of the reality."
Opposition parties' spokesman, Jean Marie Dore, said the fact that Captain Camara came to power in a coup goes against the principles of a fairly-governed country.
"It is a serious crisis and we are here to solve all the problems relating to this crisis, to make [sure] that Guinea will again be a nation founded on law," said Dore.
The Force Vives opposition members say they want the talks to address the realities of Captain Camara's departure from power. The talks continue in Ouagadougou this week.