AFRICAN UNION

UNION AFRICAINE

UNIÃO AFRICANA

 

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

130TH MEETING

29 MAY 2008

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

PSC/PR/Comm (CXXX)

COMMUNIQUE

PSC/PR/Comm(CXXX)

 

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 130TH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

 

At its 130th meeting held on 29 May 2008, the Peace and Security Council of

the African Union (AU) adopted the following decision on the situation in the Central

African Republic (CAR):

Council:

1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the

situation in the Central African Republic [PSC/PR/2(CXXX)] and the statement made

by the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the Commission for the Central African

Republic, as well as the statements made by the Representative of the Government

of CAR, the Office of the United Nations in Central Africa (BONUCA), the Economic

Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Economic and Monetary

Community of Central Africa (CEMAC);

2. Notes with satisfaction the efforts deployed by the Government of CAR in

the promotion of dialogue, national reconciliation and peace. In this regard, Council

welcomes the completion of the preparations for the inclusive political dialogue and

urges all concerned parties to participate in the dialogue in a constructive manner

and in a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect;

3. Welcomes the signing on 9 May 2008, in Libreville, of the Ceasefire and

Peace Agreement between the Government and the People’s Army for Restoration of

Democracy (APRD) and pays tribute to President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba in

his capacity as the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on CAR issues in the CEMAC

region for his sustained efforts towards peace in CAR. In this respect, Council urges

the signatories, including parties to the previous agreements of Syrte on 2 February

2007 and of Birao on 13 April 2007, to respect the commitments that they made;

4. Expresses its gratitude to the Leaders of the Region, in particular of ECCAS

and CEMAC, for their sustained efforts aiming at promoting peace and stability in

CAR and urges them to pursue these efforts. In this regard, Council takes note of

the decision of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECCAS in

Brazzaville on 30 October 2007 to transfer authority over the CEMAC Multi-national

Force (FOMUC) from CEMAC to ECCAS, as well as the decision of the Cameroonian

Government to contribute a 119 strong contingent with a view to reinforcing FOMUC;

5. Welcomes the fruitful cooperation between the AU and the European Union

(EU) which has always made it possible since 2004, to provide support to the

activities of the FOMUC and encourages the two institutions to reinforce this

partnership and to extend it to other key areas of the post-conflict reconstruction

programme and socio-economic recovery of CAR;

6. Expresses its concern with the persistence of insecurity in some provinces in

the hinterland, as well as along some road networks and with the worsening

humanitarian situation in the north of the country;

7. Strongly condemns the recent atrocities committed by the Lord’s Resistance

Army (LRA) of Joseph Kony in the Central African Republic and is deeply

PSC/PR/Comm(CXXX)

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concerned with the threat of destabilization that the presence of this movement

poses to CAR and Chad;

8. Notes with satisfaction the sustained efforts of the Government of CAR

towards the socio-economic recovery of CAR and the progress made in this respect.

Council expresses its gratitude to all the development partners for their sustained

support and engagement with the Central African authorities and encourages them to

pursue and to reinforce their support with the view to contributing to the consolidation

of peace and stability in CAR;

9. Commends the Commission for the initiatives that it took in follow-up to its

communiqué PSC/PR/Comm/LXVII of 7 December 2006, in particular the

organisation of the African Solidarity Conference with CAR held in Addis Ababa on

19 October 2007, and requests it to pursue and intensify its efforts to ensure an

adequate follow-up of the conclusions of the said conference, including through the

dispatch of a technical follow-up mission to Bangui and urges Member States to

continue their support to CAR;

10. Also requests the Commission to continue to support the inclusive political

dialogue and peace consolidation efforts in CAR and to take necessary measures for

the opening of a liaison office in Bangui;

11. Decides to remain seized of the matter.