An Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) delegation is due to arrive Guinea Bissau Monday to meet and deliver a special message from its chairman to the military junta, reiterating its principled position of rejecting the unconstitutional take-over of power, a statement by the regional bloc has said.

The delegation led by President of ECOWAS Commission Kadre Desire Ouedraogo comprises, among others, the minister of foreign affairs of Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria's minister of state for foreign affairs and the chiefs of defense staff of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal.

It will also include representatives of the African Union and the United Nations, political officers from ECOWAS member states and officials of the commission.

According to the statement, the delegation will reaffirm ECOWAS' rejection of the coup which has been widely condemned by the international community, including the AU and UN, and impress on the junta to restore constitutional rule immediately.

In its strong reaction to the military coup, the ECOWAS Commission particularly expressed disappointment with the timing, coming just days after a joint ECOWAS-AU-UN mission had met with the military hierarchy to warn against any temptation to disrupt the ongoing electoral process in the country.

The statement warned that the coup-makers would be held responsible for the safety and security of political leaders, the population, institutions and property in the country and reminded them of the ECOWAS' zero tolerance for power obtained by unconstitutional means, as enshrined in the supplementary protocol on "democracy and good governance".

The ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, which met at the ministerial level just before the announcement of the coup, had also recommended the dispatch of a military contingent to Guinea Bissau to ensure the effective implementation of the regional road map for the country's defence and security sector reform program as well as secure persons and property during the scheduled April 29 presidential run-off election and ensure the sanctity of the electoral process.

The ECOWAS council also agreed on the dispatch of a mixed civilian-military delegation to Guinea Bissau under the auspices of the regional mediator, President Alpha Conde of Guinea, to meet with key stakeholders within the political class and the military so as to douse the political tension arising from the inconclusive first round presidential election of March 18 in the country.

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