Washington, DC - With the dismissal of the Prime Minister, Guinea-Bissau faces its first governing crisis since the free and fair elections of 2014. We call on leaders to seek dialogue and consensus in resolving this crisis in a manner that both serves the best interests of the Bissau-Guinean people and that establishes a clear outline of roles in order to avoid prolonged political crisis now and in the future.

We commend the calm reaction of all parties and call on security force, civil society and political leaders to continue to act peacefully, and in accordance with the constitution and the rule of law. Managing political disagreement is a natural part of democratic rule and we encourage continued constructive dialogue between leaders.

At the March 2015 Brussels International Conference for Guinea-Bissau, the President and Prime Minister presented a vision of political and economic development for the country that garnered the support of the international community. The best hope for further progress on this agenda is for leaders to quickly come together and recommit themselves to the stated objectives.

The United States looks to Bissau-Guinean leaders to show the world they can work together with the international community to move forward with political and economic development.