ADDIS ABABA
The African Union (AU) on Friday said it would deploy an election-observer mission to Guinea-Bissau, where presidential and parliamentary polls are due next month.
In a statement, the pan-African body said it would deploy its "Long-Term Election Observation Mission to the parliamentary and presidential elections, to take place... on March 16, 2014."
Formerly known as Portuguese Guinea, Guinea-Bissau has a long history of civil wars and military coups.
The AU mission will monitor the electoral process from February 10 to March 30, the statement said.
Last November, Guinea-Bissau's transitional government decided to postpone elections, originally slated for November 24, to March of this year.
It is hoped that the polls will end the transitional period that followed a 2012 military coup, which came amid presidential elections.
The country's interim president and former prime minister were both arrested during the coup, but were released months later after coup leaders promised a 12-month transition to civilian rule.
By Mohamed Taha Tawakel
englishnews@aa.com.tr
