VOA标准英语2010-ECOWAS Official Calls for Urgent Military

A top official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says the regional bloc¹ is concerned about the security situation in Guinea-Bissau after mutinous² soldiers briefly³ arrested the prime minister Thursday.

Peter Clottey 01 April 2010

Guinea Bissau's Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior was briefly arrested by mutinous soldiers Thursday

“We know Guinea-Bissau is very fragile. You know that since conflicts began in Guinea-Bissau our organization has maintained a permanent residence in the country. So, we have the special representative of the ECOWAS president who is also monitoring the situation on the ground and we are in constant touch with them,”

A top official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says the regional bloc is concerned about the security situation in Guinea-Bissau after mutinous soldiers briefly arrested the prime minister Thursday.

ECOWAS political director Abdel-Fatau Musah said the regional bloc is working closely with the international community to reform Guinea-Bissau’s military.

“We just felt that Guinea-Bissau was turning the corner after last July presidential election and our partners AU (African Union) the UN have been scaling up their efforts to assist the country in the security sector⁴ reform. And for a section of the military to once again demonstrate their indiscipline is of course of a matter of grave concern to ECOWAS,” he said.

Local media reported Thursday that a group of soldiers briefly arrested Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior after breaking into his office. Some military officers were also reportedly detained.

But Musah said the regional bloc has warned the military to stop interfering⁵ in Guinea-Bissau’s democracy.

“We have actually put them on guard, the military in that country, that they will be responsible for their action and they will answer for it,” Musah said.

President Malam Bacai Sanha declared the situation under control shortly after the arrest of the Prime Minister and Army Chief Zamora Induta.

ECOWAS Political Director Musah described the situation in Guinea-Bissau as delicate.

“We know Guinea-Bissau is very fragile. You know that since conflicts began in Guinea-Bissau our organization has maintained a permanent residence in the country. So, we have the special representative of the ECOWAS president who is also monitoring the situation on the ground and we are in constant touch with them,” Musah said.

He further said Guinea-Bissau’s current instability could not be classified as a coup⁶ d’état despite the arrests.

Musah said ECOWAS will continue to fight the instability in Guinea-Bissau.

“We feel that this is mutiny. This is indiscipline on the part of the military and it is another sign of impunity⁷ in the country. And we believe that we have to scale up our efforts in order to fight it,” Musah said.

He further said the situation in Guinea-Bissau calls for “emphasis and urgency” to reform the military.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Bissau Guineans took to the streets hours after mutinous soldiers briefly arrested Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior to protest the arrest.
 

1 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

2 mutinous   

adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变

参考例句：

• The mutinous sailors took control of the ship.反叛的水手们接管了那艘船。
• His own army,stung by defeats,is mutinous.经历失败的痛楚后，他所率军队出现反叛情绪。

3 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

6 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

7 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。