Communiqué: The 586th meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR)

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.org

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 586™ MEETING

ADDIS ABABA

31 MARCH 2016

PSC/PR/COMM.(DLXXXVI)

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 586^th meeting held on 31 March 2016, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR):

Council,

1. Takes note of the briefing made by the Commission, as well as of the statement made by the representative of The Gambia, on the situation in the CAR;

2. Recalls its previous communiques and press statements, in particular, Communique PSC/PR/COMM/(CCCLXIII) adopted at its 363^rd meeting held on 25 March 2013, in which Council decided to suspend the participation of the CAR in all AU activities until the restoration of normal constitutional order;

3. Welcomes the positive developments in the CAR, particularly, the successful holding of the presidential election, and the first round of legislative elections, as well as the swearing in, on 30 March 2016, of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, which marked the completion of the transition process;

4. Reiterates its appreciation to the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), bilateral and multilateral partners of the CAR and AU partners. Council, in particular, pays tribute to the ECCAS Mediator in the CAR crisis, President Denis Sassou Nguesso, of the Republic of Congo, for his commitment and active engagement, which contributed significantly to the progress achieved in the CAR;

5. Council further pays tribute to Madam Catherine Samba-Panza for her exemplary role, in her capacity as the President of the Transition, in steering the transition process in the CAR to a successful conclusion. Council commends the political actors and the people of the CAR, as a whole, for demonstrating political maturity and commitment to end the crisis, in the supreme interest of their country;

6. Decides, in view of the successful completion of the transition process and the restoration of normal constitutional order, in accordance with the relevant AU instruments, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, to lift the suspension of the participation of the CAR in the activities of the AU. Council further decides to lift all other measures that had been taken to ensure that the CAR stakeholders work irreversibly towards the restoration of normal constitutional order. In this regard, Council invites the CAR to immediately resume its participation in the activities of the AU;

7. Urges the new President of the CAR and all the other CAR stakeholders to work together

towards the promotion of national reconciliation, good governance and respect for human rights, as well as in post-conflict reconstruction and development;

8. Council reiterates the commitment of the AU to continue accompanying and supporting the CAR in addressing the challenges at hand. Council urges the international community to remain actively mobilized and engaged in supporting the CAR;

9. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

HAPPEN