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PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 327™ MEETING AT THE LEVEL OF THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
14 JULY 2012
PSC/AHG/COMM/1.(CCCXXVII)
COMMUNIQUE
COMMUNIQUE
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 327th meeting held on 14 July 2012, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Republic of Mali:
Council,
Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Mali [PSC/AHG/3(CCCXXVII)]. Council also takes note of the statements made by the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the ECOWAS Mediator, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the United Nations, and by the core countries, namely Mauritania, Niger and Algeria, as well as by South Africa and Togo, as AU Member States in the United Nations Security Council;
Recalls its earlier communiques on the situation in Mali;
Reaffirms the unflinching commitment of the AU and that of all its Member States to the national unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Mali, which cannot be the subject of any discussion or negotiation, and Africa's determination to spare no effort to ensure their preservation. Council also reaffirms the AU's utter rejection of terrorism and the recourse to armed rebellion to further political demands;
Expresses its deep concern at the seriousness of the situation in northern Mali, marked by the increasing consolidation of control of the region by the armed, terrorist and criminal groups. Council notes with concern the presence in northern Mali of different armed and terrorist groups, such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA) and Boko Haram. Council further notes that this situation poses a serious threat to regional and international peace and security and, as such, calls for urgent and effective action by the entire international community;
Strongly condemns the violations of human rights perpetrated by the various armed, terrorist and criminal groups which occupy the northern part of Mali, and the senseless and unacceptable destruction of the cultural, spiritual and historical heritage of this region, notably in Timbuktu, which is a serious violation of international law, and urges that the perpetrators be brought to justice before the relevant international jurisdictions. Council also notes the continuing deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the region, and stresses the need for urgent action to allow the delivery of food aid to the affected populations. Council reiterates the gratitude of the AU to Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, for hosting Malian refugees and for their support and assistance. Council also thanks all humanitarian agencies providing support to the affected populations;
Reiterates the full support of the AU to the ECOWAS efforts aimed at resolving the crisis in Mali. In this regard, Council pays tribute to President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, President of Cote d'Ivoire and current Chairman of ECOWAS, President Blaise Compaore, President of Burkina Faso and Mediator in the Malian crisis, President Goodluck Jonathan, President of Nigeria and Associate
Mediator, and the other members of the ECOWAS Contact Group on Mali, as well as to President Thomas Yayi Boni, President of Benin and Chairman of the AU, for their commitment and sustained efforts. Council also notes with satisfaction the action of the core countries. Council welcomes the interaction that has developed between ECOWAS and the core countries, and encourages all stakeholders to continue on this path, in accordance with its decision of 20 March 2012, in Bamako [PSC/MIN/COMM.(CCCXIV)];
Endorses the communiques issued by the 41st Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held in Yamoussoukro, on 28 and 29 June 2012, and the second meeting of the ECOWAS Contact Group on Mali, held in Ouagadougou, on 7 July 2012. Council also welcomes the adoption, on 5 July 2012, by the UN Security Council of resolution 2056(2012);
Reiterates its strong condemnation of the physical assault against the interim President, Mr. Dioncounda Traore, and requests the Chairperson of the Commission, in collaboration with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to put in place, with the support of the UN, an international commission of inquiry to shed light on the assault and to identify its perpetrators and sponsors, with a view to bringing them to justice. Council requests the current authorities, working closely with ECOWAS, to facilitate the return to Mali of the interim President, to enable him to fully and effectively assume his responsibilities;
Reiterates the urgent need to strengthen the transitional institutions, to enable Mali to address the serious challenges it faces, particularly in the northern part of the country. In this regard, Council demands an end to the unacceptable interference of the military junta and their civilian supporters in the management of the transition and the effective dissolution of the National Committee for the Recovery of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (CNRDRE). Council calls for the early finalization of the list of individuals whose action is impeding the transition, to allow for the immediate imposition of sanctions by the AU and ECOWAS. Council requests the UN Security Council and other AU partners to support such sanctions;
Urges the interim President and the Prime Minister to immediately commence the required consultations with the Malian political and civil society actors, with a view to forming an expanded national unity Government, as requested by ECOWAS, the AU and the UN. Council requests the Chairperson of the AU Commission and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, in close consultation with the Mediation and with the support of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and other partners, on the basis of the communique of the Ouagadougou Contact Group meeting, to facilitate the holding, as soon as possible, of consultations among the Malian stakeholders, in Bamako, for the formation of the Government of national unity by 31st July 2012, in accordance with the decision of the Contact Group meeting. Council emphasizes that the formation of this Government will mark the completion of institutional normalization and pave the way for the lifting of the suspension measure taken by the AU, as well as for greater mobilization of Africa and the rest of the international community, in support to the efforts of the transitional authorities;
Encourages dialogue with groups willing to negotiate on the basis of the respect of the unity and territorial integrity of Mali, and the total rejection of armed rebellion, terrorism and related criminal activities. In this regard, Council reaffirms its support to the efforts of the ECOWAS Mediator and the Contact Group, and stresses the need for continued coordination with the core countries;
Reiterates its determination to impose sanctions against terrorist and criminal groups operating in northern Mali, as well as against any other armed group that impedes the search for a solution to the crisis and the efforts of ECOWAS and the AU. In this regard, Council calls upon all Member States concerned to extend full cooperation to the Commission to expedite the finalization of the list of armed, terrorist and criminal groups operating in the northern part of Mali, for their inclusion on the list of terrorist groups established by the AU, in conformity with communique PSC/PR/COMM.(CCCXVI), adopted at its 316th meeting held on3 April 2012;
Recalls its communique PSC/ PR/COMM. (CCCXXIII) of 12 June 2012, authorizing ECOWAS, in collaboration, as appropriate, with the core countries, to put in place the required security and military arrangements, to achieve the following objectives: (i) ensure the security of the transitional institutions, (ii) restructure and reorganize the Malian security and defense forces, and (iii) restore State authority over the northern part of the country, as well as fight against terrorist and criminal networks. Council welcomes the measures taken by ECOWAS in this regard, including the dispatching of a technical assessment mission to Bamako, with the participation of the AU. Council reiterates its call on all Member States and the international community as a whole, for them to provide the necessary technical, logistical and financial support;
Welcomes the launching by the AU Commission, during the consultative meeting held in Addis Ababa, on 23 June 2012, of the process towards the development of a strategic concept articulating, in a holistic manner, the political, security and military measures towards the early resolution of the crisis in Mali. Council calls for the early finalization of this concept with ECOWAS, in collaboration with the core countries, the UN, and other partners. Council stresses that this document and the planning conducted by ECOWAS must be mutually reinforcing. Council expresses its intention to consider and adopt this concept as quickly as possible, before its submission to the UN Security Council, to enable the latter to further consider the request of ECOWAS and the AU, in accordance with paragraph 18 of resolution 2056 (2012);
Calls upon the African Commission on Human and People's Rights to investigate the human rights situation in northern Mali, including the atrocities committed against the Malian military and their families in Aguel’hoc, in January 2012, and to submit a comprehensive report with concrete recommendations on the way forward;
Decides to remain actively seized of the situation.