Communique:The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 263rd meeting held on 28 February 2011, adopted the following decision on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire

AFRICAN UNION

(A/n jUhi

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PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 263^rd MEETING

28 FEBRUARY 2011

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

PSC/PR/COMM(CCLXIII)

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 263^rd MEETING
OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 263^rd meeting held on 28 February 2011, adopted the following decision on the situation in Cote d'Ivoire:

Council,

1. Takes note of the briefing made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security on the situation in Cote d'Ivoire and on the activities of the AU High Level Panel for the Resolution of the Crisis in Cote d'Ivoire;

2. Reaffirms its previous decisions on the situation in Cote d'Ivoire and, in this regard, recalls communique PSC/AHG/COMM(CCLIX) adopted by its 259^th meeting held on 28 January 2011, by which Council, among other aspects, decided to put in place a High Level Panel for the Resolution of the Crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, to evaluate the situation and formulate, within one month and on the basis of the relevant decisions of the AU and ECOWAS, a comprehensive political solution;

3. Commends President Mohammed Quid Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, who chairs the Panel, and the other members of the Panel, namely President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, and Idriss Deby Itno of Chad, as well as the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr Jean Ping, and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Victor Gbeho, for the efforts deployed thus far and their engagement towards a peaceful solution to the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. Council expresses its appreciation to the United Nations for its support to the work of the Panel, notably through the interaction of the Panel with Ambassador Said Djinnit, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for West Africa, who is in charge of the follow-up on the activities of the Panel and of giving it all necessary information;

4. Takes note of the need for the Panel to have supplementary time to accomplish its mandate;

5. Decides, accordingly, to extend the mandate of the High Level Panel to allow it to pursue and complete, within the month of March 2011, its mandate to formulate, on the basis of the relevant AU and ECOWAS decisions, a comprehensive political solution and to submit to the Ivorian parties proposals for a way out of the crisis, as well as to report thereafter on its work to a meeting of Council to be held, as soon as possible, at the level of Heads of State and Government. Council requests all the Ivorian parties to continue cooperating fully with the Panel in the execution of its mandate;

6. Condemns all attacks and exactions, from whoever they come from, against the civilian population and expresses its serious concern at the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in Cote d'Ivoire. In this regard, Council calls on all the Ivorian parties to show utmost restraint and to refrain from any action that could further complicate an already difficult situation;

7. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.