AFRICAN UNION
UNIAO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243 Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822 Fax: (251-11) 5519 321
Email: situationroom@africa-union.o£g
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 301st MEETING
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
30 NOVEMBER 2011
PSC/PR/COMM./(CCCI)
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COMMUNIQUE
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 300th and 301st meetings, held on 28 and 30 November 2011, respectively, adopted the following decision on the situation in Darfur and the activities of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) on Sudan:
Council,
Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the activities of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan [PSC/PR/ (CCCI)], as well as the briefings by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Joint Special Representative (JSR) of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and Joint Chief Mediator ad interim, former President Thabo Mbeki, Chair of the AUHIP, and the United Nations Special Envoy for Sudan, Haile Menkerios. Council also takes note of the statements made by the representatives of the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan;
Pays tribute to the AUHIP and to its members, former Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Pierre Buyoya, as well as to the support team, for their commitment in the discharge of the mandate entrusted to the Panel, and reiterates the AU's full support for their efforts regarding peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur, the outstanding issues in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the negotiations on postsecession issues, and democratization. Council also expresses its deep appreciation to the Government of Ethiopia, particularly Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Chair of IGAD, for its commitment and sustained efforts towards the promotion of peace and the resolution of the post-secession issues, including the speedy deployment of troops within the framework of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA);
Expresses its full support to UNAMID and JSR Ibrahim Gambari, for the work being done in the implementation of the Mission's mandate. Council also expresses gratitude to the United Nations and to its Special Envoy for Sudan, Haile Menkerios, for their invaluable contribution and cooperation with the AU, and to all other partners contributing to the search for peace and providing support to the AU's efforts, in particular Norway, the USA, the European Union (EU) and its Member States, and the World Bank, as well as to the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who have provided relevant expertise;
Reaffirms the hybrid nature of UNAMID and its African character, as key to the success of the Mission. Council recognizes UNAMID's contribution in stabilizing the situation in Darfur, protecting civilians, expanding the space for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, supporting the voluntary return of IDPs and refugees, supporting early recovery and being pro-active in
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support of the peace process. Council encourages the Mission and its leadership to persevere in their efforts;
Expresses appreciation for the steps taken so far by the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Liberation and Justice Movement (UM) in the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) of 14 July 2011, and encourages them to continue to work tirelessly and in a spirit of partnership to facilitate a final, peaceful and durable solution to the conflict;
Expresses concern over continued hostilities in parts of Darfur, calls on the armed Movements that have not yet done so to join the peace process in Darfur and subscribe to the DDPD, and encourages the Joint Chief Mediator ad interim to pursue and intensify the efforts being made in this respect;
Takes note of the intention of the United Nations Secretary-General to develop a roadmap on the peace process for Darfur in close consultation with the AU. In this respect, Council reiterates the need to fully take into account the AU position on Darfur, as articulated in its communique of 29 October 2009 endorsing the report of the AU High-Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD), and subsequent AU decisions on Darfur;
Reiterates its support to the efforts being made by the AUHIP, with the support of UNAMID, to facilitate the early launching of the Darfur Political Process (DPP), in line with all relevant AU decisions, so as to comprehensively address the challenges of peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur. Council welcomes, in this context, the commitment of the GoS to create an enabling environment, and requests the AUHIP and UNAMID to intensify their efforts aimed at engaging all Darfurian stakeholders with a view to achieving a sustainable peace in the region. Council calls upon AU partners, in particular the UN Security Council and its members, and the international community at large to fully support this Process and take the steps expected of them to facilitate the work of the AUHIP and UNAMID in this respect;
Expresses appreciation to the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan for the cooperation extended to the AUHIP, welcomes the progress made thus far in the postsecession negotiations, including the establishment, in December 2010, of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), which is the first inter-State mechanism between Sudan and South Sudan, the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area, and the Framework Agreement between the GoS and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-North) on Political Partnership between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the SPLM-North and Security Arrangements in Blue Nile and South Kordofan States, signed in Addis Ababa on 20 and 28 June 2011, respectively;
Takes note of the ongoing AUHIP-facilitated negotiations on the outstanding issues, including: (i) access by the South to the oil pipelines that run through the North, (ii) transitional financial arrangements to cushion the economic shock to the Sudanese economy from the loss
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of revenue that accompanied the secession of the South, (iii) the division of assets and liabilities, (iv) arrears relating to oil and other outstanding matters, (v) banking and cross-border payments (vi) trade relations, (vii) border demarcation, dispute resolution and the management of pastoralist migration across the common border, (viii) security matters, including the management of a demilitarized zone between the two States, (ix) the management of water resources, including the Nile waters, (x) the nationality status of South Sudanese in Sudan and Sudanese in South Sudan, (xi) dispute resolution mechanisms, and (xii) the efforts to find a solution to the Abyei issue;
Stresses the primary responsibility of the leadership of Sudan and South Sudan in ensuring that the outstanding issues are swiftly resolved, in line with the overriding and agreed principle of two viable States, at peace with, and mutually supportive of, one another. Accordingly, Council and Africa as a whole expect Presidents Omar Hassan Al Bashir and Salva Kiir Mayardit to demonstrate the required spirit of compromise and commitment to good neighborliness, in order to speedily conclude negotiations on these interlinked issues, as the only way for the two countries to achieve their goals in terms of security, democracy and development, and meet the most basic needs of their peoples. In the meantime, Council strongly urges that the leaderships of Sudan and South Sudan desist from any unilateral action with a negative impact on the interests, stability and development of either country, and to put into practice confidence-building measures to enhance the spirit of cooperation;
Reiterates AU's full support to the Agreement on Abyei, urges both Sudan and South Sudan to faithfully and unconditionally implement their obligations under the Agreement. Council commends UNISFA for its tireless efforts in the discharge of its mandate, and appeals to the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations to continue to do their utmost to provide urgent assistance to the people of Abyei;
Expresses its serious concern on the continuing conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and urges the GoS to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected people of this region. Council, recalling the Framework Agreement of 28 June 2011, calls upon the parties to immediately cease hostilities, permit unhindered humanitarian access, and allow the return of displaced persons to their homes. Council, reiterates the call for both parties to immediately return to the negotiations, in order to reach a peaceful settlement;
Reiterates the continued validity of the analysis contained in the AUPD Report regarding the need for a holistic approach to the quest of peace, justice and reconciliation in Sudan, taking into account the longstanding governance problems in Sudan, especially the challenge of governing a diverse country in an equitable manner. In this respect, Council encourages the AUHIP to pursue and intensify its engagement with the GoS and other stakeholders, in order to promote and take forward this approach, including in the context of the ongoing constitutional review and reform process. Council also encourages the AUHIP to work closely with the Government of South Sudan in support of its efforts to meet the challenge of governance in a
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context of diversity. Council further encourages the AUHIP to continue to prioritize democratization in both Sudan and South Sudan, as a sine qua non for stability and equitable governance, bearing in mind the diversity that characterizes both countries;
Underlines the critical role that the international community can play in the attainment of the objective of two viable States, including the immediate lifting of the sanctions imposed on Sudan, the granting of debt relief and the provision of timely and adequate financial support to lessen the impact on the Sudanese economy resulting from the loss of substantial revenue following the secession of South Sudan, and the provision of aid and technical assistance to the new state of South Sudan, as well as political support to the holistic approach to peace. In this respect, Council encourages the Commission to take, as soon as possible, all necessary steps for the reactivation of the Sudans Consultative Forum (SCF), to facilitate closer coordination of efforts and more effective support to the attainment of the objective of two viable States, at peace with one another and working together on issues of mutual interest;
Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
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