Communiqué: 363rd Meeting of the of the Peace and Security Council on the Situation in Central African Republic (CAR)

AFRICAN UNION juni

UNIAO AFRICANA

P.O. Box: 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tel.:(251-ll) 551 38 22 Fax: (251-11) 551 93 21

Email: situationroom@africa-union.org

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 363^rdMEETING

25 MARCH 2013

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

PSC/PR/COMM. (CCCLXIII)

COMMUNIQUE

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COMMUNIQUE

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 363^rd meeting held in Addis Ababa on 25 March 2013, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR):

Council,

1. Takes note of the briefing made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security on the evolution of the situation in the CAR. Council also takes note of thestatements made bythe representatives of CAR, Chad, as Chair of the Economic Community of the Central African States (ECCAS),the ECCAS Secretariat, South Africa, Uganda andthe United Nations;

2. Recalls its communiques and press statements on the situation in the CAR, in particular its communique PSC/PR/Comm.(CCCLXII) adopted at its 362^ndmeeting held on 23 March 2013. Council endorses the press release issued by the Chairperson of the Commission on 24 March 2013;

3. Expresses its grave concern at the negative evolution of the situation in the CAR, following the unilateral and unjustified decision of theSeleka rebel group to flagrantly violate the Libreville Agreements, including the Ceasefire Agreement, concluded on 11 January 2013, under ECCAS auspices and supported by the AU and the rest of the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, take control of the capital Bangui and seize power by force, thereby undermining prospects for the lasting resolution of the crisis facing the CAR and the promotion of democratic governance in that country. Council underscores the seriousness of the decision of theSeleka groupto undermine the authority of the Heads of State of the regionby disregardingthe Agreements concluded under their auspices,as well as ignoring theurgent appeals for restraint made by various members of the international community;

4. Strongly condemns the abuses and other acts of violence against the civilian populations, as well as the pillaging committed in the aftermath of the entry into Bangui of the armed elements of the Seleka group. Council presents its condolences to the South African Government following the killing of soldiers belonging to the South African training contingent deployed inthe CAR at the request of the CAR Government. Council reiterates its demand to the Seleka rebel group and all other concerned to desist from further attacks against civilians, and to strictly comply with international humanitarian law and human rights;

5. Reaffirms its determination to hold all those involved in the actions mentioned in paragraph 4 above accountable for their acts, and, in this respect,requests the Commission to provide it,as soon as possible, with updated information on the situation to enable it take the necessary action;

6. Emphasizesthat the entry of rebel elements in Bangui and their subsequent seizure of power constitute a flagrant violation of the AU Constitutive Act, the Lome Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, as well as of the decisions of Council and the Assembly of the Unionrejecting totally any recourse to armed rebellion to further political claims. Council further emphasizes that the action of the Selekarebel group seriously undermine the gains made in the democratic processes on the continent and pose a serious threat to peace, security and stability in the region and the continent as a whole;

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7. Demands the scrupulous respect of all provisions of the Libreville Agreementsand the transitional arrangements for the governance of the country stipulated therein, as well as the immediate restoration of constitutional order;

8. Decides, in the light of the foregoing, to immediately suspend the participation of the CARin all AU activities, as well as to impose sanctions, including travel ban and assetfreeze, onleaders of the Seleka group, as indicated in the attached Annex, pending the submission by the Commission of a more exhaustive list as requested by Council, in paragraph 6 of communiquePSC/PR/Comm.(CCCLXII) of 23 March 2013;

9. Calls upon all Member States to take the necessary measures to completely isolate the perpetrators of the unconstitutional change in the CAR, to deny them any sanctuary and cooperation, as well asto facilitate the implementation of any other measures that would be taken by the AU, including the judgment of the perpetrators of the unconstitutional change, as provided for in Article 25 (5) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance,in order to ensure the immediate restoration of constitutional order. In this context, Council recalls the provisions of Article 7 (2, 3 & 4) of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the AU Peace and Security Council, as well as of Article 16 of the said Protocol and other AU instruments, which give the Union the primary responsibility for promoting peace, security and stability in Africa, within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture;

10. Urges the AU's international partners, including the Security Council and its members, the European Union, the InternationalOrganization of LaFrancophonie and other partners, to expeditiously take stiff measures to reject the fait accompli, hold the perpetrators of the unconstitutional change responsible for their actions and their consequences, including the looting and atrocities underway,as well as to ensure the restoration of constitutional order and the scrupulous implementation of all the provisions of the Libreville Agreements. In this context, Council looks forward to the decisions of the envisaged meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Council requests the Chairperson of the Commission to urgently transmit this communique to the UN Security Council and to all other AU partners;

11. Calls on the Commission to initiate the necessary consultations with ECCAS, the UN and other international stakeholders to facilitate effective and coordinated international response to the situation in the CAR. Council emphasizes, in particular, the importance of close cooperation with the UN in addressing the current crisis in the CAR;

12. Decides to remain actively seized of the situation.

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