The Third Consultative Meeting of the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union Commission Joint Task Force on Peace and Security, held in New York, on Monday, 19 September 2011
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, September 27, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On 19 September 2011, the United Nations and the African Union Joint Task Force on
Peace and Security (JTF) held its third consultative meeting at the United Nations
Headquarters in New York. The AU Commission and the UN Secretariat were
represented by Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra, the Under-Secretaries-General B.Lynn
Pascoe and Susana Malcorra, Mr. Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary General and
Officer in Charge of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and Mr. Herve
Ladsous, Under-Secretary General Designate for the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations. They were accompanied by other senior officials from the two organizations.
The JTF reviewed the situation in Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan and agreed on
steps and arrangements needed to strengthen and ensure greater coherence to the
partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in those countries, within
the framework of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.
On Libya, the JTF reviewed the situation in light of Security Council resolution 2009
(2011), establishing the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and which
gave the United Nations a central role in coordinating international assistance to Libya, as
well as the relevant communiqués of the AU PSC and the ad hoc Committee on Libya.
The JTF agreed on the need to take steps to ensure coordinated support to Libya. The
participants welcomed the commitment of the NTC to establish an all-inclusive national
unity Government, promote reconciliation, ensure the safety of foreign nationals in
Libya, in particular those who have been threatened, mistreated and/or detained, and
contribute to efforts to address the challenges posed by the proliferation of weapons and
terrorist threats in the region. The JTF agreed on the need to work together, in the context
of the Cairo Group format, in support of the NTC to implement its transition plans.
On Somalia, the JTF acknowledged the new realities on the ground and agreed to
strengthen cooperation and complementarity of efforts. The JTF applauded the leadership
of the AU, in particular through AMISOM, in stabilizing the situation in the country, and
paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the Burundian and Ugandan forces. The JTF
discussed follow up action to assist the implementation of the TFG Roadmap to End the
Transition and to secure enhanced support to AMISOM. In this regard, the JTF agreed to
focus on helping AMISOM reach its mandated level of 12,000 troops. It also agreed to
follow up on the preparation of plans and resources for the next phase of AMISOM
operations and looked forward to the upcoming resolution of the Security Council on the
renewal of AMISOM’s mandate and the extension of the UN support package to
AMISOM. The JTF underscored the dire humanitarian situation in Somalia, and pledged
to consider ways to assist AMISOM to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance
to the Somali population.
Regarding Darfur, the participants concurred that only an inclusive political process
including all stakeholders, belligerent and non-belligerent, could achieve sustainable
peace in Darfur and a political settlement that ensures stability for Darfur. Participants
supported the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) and
the commencement of the Darfur Political Process (DPP) inside Darfur. The JTF
commended UNAMID for all its efforts on the ground to protect civilians and support
humanitarian and early recovery efforts, while also agreeing on the need to continue
efforts to maximize the impact of the mission on the ground.
On relations between Sudan and South Sudan, the JTF recognized that close AU-UN
collaboration will continue to support the parties in their efforts to avert a worsening of
the security situation in Abyei, Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and along the border, and a
deterioration in relations between Sudan and South Sudan. The JTF welcomed the
AUHIP’s ongoing efforts, including its facilitation of the 20 June Agreement on
Temporary Security and Administrative Arrangements for Abyei (and launch of the
Abyei Joint Oversight Committee on 7-8 September), the 28 June Framework Agreement
on political and security arrangements for Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, the 29 June
Agreement on Border Security and the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM)
and the 30 July Agreement on a Border Monitoring Support Mission. The meeting
underscored the importance of ongoing AU-UN engagement towards implementation of
these agreements and, in that context, was encouraged by the commitment of the
Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan to withdraw their armed
forces from Abyei by the end of September. The JTF also noted the importance of the
AU’s long-term political engagement for the success of UNISFA, including resolution of
the final status of Abyei. The JTF welcomed the efforts of the AUHIP, in coordination
with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, to find a settlement to the conflict in Blue
Nile and Southern Kordofan.
On South Sudan, the JTF commended the peaceful implementation of the result of the
referendum and congratulated the people of South Sudan on the recognition of their
sovereign independence. The meeting acknowledged that the road ahead, though
promising, remains fraught with challenges and that the international community must
maintain focus on assisting the Government of South Sudan deliver the independence
dividend. The meeting agreed to establish close cooperation between the UN and the AU
while providing assistance to the Government and the people of South Sudan.
SOURCE
African Union Commission (AUC)
