DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL ON ITS
ACTIVITIES AND THE STATE OF PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA
Doc. Assembly/AU/6(XIX)
The Assembly,
TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa;
WELCOMES the progress made towards the promotion of lasting peace, security and stability in Africa. The Assembly COMMENDS the PSC and the Commission, as well as the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs), for their commitment and efforts;
NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the progress made in the consolidation of peace in The Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia, and URGES Member States and international partners to lend the necessary support to the on-going processes in these countries. The Assembly WELCOMES the dialogue initiated in CAR between the Government and the political class, as well as the other measures taken to consolidate peace in the country. The Assembly ENCOURAGES all stakeholders in the Republic of Guinea to overcome the current difficulties with a view to the rapid holding of legislative elections under conditions of transparency, freedom and the requisite fairness;
EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN at the situation prevailing in Mali, and CONDEMNS the illegal occupation of the northern part of the country by armed groups, terrorists and criminals, as well as the recourse to armed rebellion to assert political claims. The Assembly ALSO CONDEMNS the coup d’etat that took place in Mali on 22 March 2012, as well as the manoeuvres of the Military Junta and its civilian supporters aimed at thwarting the on-going transition and the efforts of ECOWAS and the AU, including the unacceptable physical attack against the Interim President Mr. Dioncounda Traore, on 21 May 2012. The Assembly REITERATES the indefectible commitment of the AU to the respect of the national unity and territorial integrity of Mali, which are non-discussable and non-negotiable, as well as the imperative to respect constitutional order;
REITERATES the commitment of the AU, in close collaboration with ECOWAS and the countries of the region, as well as with the support of international partners, to the re-establishment of State authority in the North of Mali. The Assembly REAFFIRMS the imperative need for the effective restoration of constitutional order and DEMANDS the cessation of all interference from the Military Junta in the political life of the country. The Assembly REITERATES AU support for the efforts deployed by ECOWAS and the countries of the region, including dialogue with the armed groups prepared to seek a negotiated solution based on AU principles, security for the transitional institutions and the expansion of the current Government to make it more representative and inclusive. The Assembly ENCOURAGES the Commission and the PSC to continue with the efforts initiated with a view of promoting the necessary pooling of efforts and the coordination of initiatives in the search for a solution to the crisis in Mali, including through the elaboration of a strategic concept that articulates the political, security and military measures to be taken to that effect;
STRESSES the relevance of the Strategy for the Sahel adopted by the PSC in Bamako on 20 March 2012, and CALLS ON all stakeholders to ensure that their action is in keeping with that framework;
REITERATES the unequivocal condemnation by the AU of the coup d’etat that took place in Guinea Bissau on 12 April 2012 and UNDERSCORES the need to definitively put an end to the repeated interference of the Guinea Bissau army in the political life of the country. The Assembly REITERATES the support of the AU to ECOWAS efforts and ENCOURAGES uninterrupted consultations between the different international stakeholders, namely ECOWAS, the AU, the CPLP, the United Nations and bilateral partners, in order to promote a coordinated approach to the situation;
EXPRESSES serious concern at the situation prevailing in DRC and STRONGLY CONDEMNS the armed group and all other negative forces in DRC, the perpetrators of attacks against the Congolese Government in North Kivu, EXPRESSES ITS FULL SUPPORT for the efforts of the Congolese Government at restoring peace and re-establishing State Authority in the East of the country, and ENCOURAGES the countries of the region, within the framework of the Pact on Peace, Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region to lend their full support to the efforts of the Congolese Government;
ALSO NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the significant progress which has continued to be made by the countries engaged in transition processes in North Africa. The Assembly RENEWS AU support to the on-going transition in Tunisia, and WELCOMES the holding of crucial elections in Egypt, particularly the election of the President of the Republic, and CALLS ON the international community to provide the necessary economic and financial support to the two countries with a view to consolidating the progress achieved. The Assembly COMMENDS the Libyan people and political actors for the major accomplishment of successfully holding of Constituent Assembly elections on 7 July 2012, and URGES them to persevere in this direction in order to conclude the transition. The Assembly ENCOURAGES all stakeholders in the three countries to work towards the success of the ongoing process in order to meet the hopes generated by the popular revolutions that took place there;
EXPRESSES ITS CONCERN over the delays in the implementation of the Roadmap signed in Antananarivo, on 16 September 2011, URGENTLY APPEALS to the Malagasy parties to scrupulously abide by the commitments made in their spirit and letter, and REQUESTS the Malagasy parties to extend
their full cooperation to SADC. The Assembly WELCOMES the operationalization of the Joint AU/SADC Liaison Office and ENCOURAGES the two organizations to continue their efforts towards ensuring the success of the transition;
EXPRESSES ITS SATISFACTION at the progress that has continued to be made in the peace and reconciliation process in Somalia, in particular the gains made on the ground, as well as the implementation of the Political Roadmap of September 2011. The Assembly URGES the Somali stakeholders to pursue and intensify their efforts, with a view to effectively concluding the transition on 20 August 2012 as scheduled, and REITERATES AU’s determination to take measures against all those whose action is undermining the peace and reconciliation process. The Assembly COMMENDS AMISOM for its outstanding achievements and PAYS TRIBUTE to the troop and police contributing countries and other interested countries, as well as to IGAD, for their commitment to the achievement of lasting peace, democracy and reconciliation in Somalia. The Assembly APPEALS to Member States and international partners to extend the necessary support for reconstruction and recovery in the liberated areas, as well as to the Somali Security Sector. The Assembly EXPRESSES AU’s appreciation to the UN Security Council and the other bilateral and multilateral partners for their support to AMISOM and the peace process in Somalia. The Assembly NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the outcome of the London Conference of 23 February 2012 and the Istanbul follow-up Conference of 31 May and 1 June 2012;
NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the continued progress in the security and political situation in Darfur, particularly with respect to the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), ENCOURAGES the Parties to remain committed to this process, STRESSES THE NEED to empower the mechanisms set forth in the DDPD and APPEALS ONCE AGAIN for renewed efforts to provide the requisite support to the peace process and early recovery initiatives. The Assembly RENEWS ITS CALLS to the holdout group to join the peace process without any further delay;
DEPLORES the on-going fighting in some parts of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, STRESSES the urgent need for the two parties to immediately cease hostilities, as well as facilitate humanitarian access to all populations in need and the return of IDPs and refugees. In this respect, the Assembly REQUESTS the AUHIP to pursue the efforts it has initiated regarding the two areas and specifically to expedite the launch of negotiations between Republic of The Sudan and SPLM-N in Blue Nile and South Kordafan States in conformity with the AU roadmap and with UN Security Council Resolution 2046;
NOTES that, while some progress has been made in the implementation of the AU Roadmap of 24 April 2012, as endorsed by the UN Security Council, through resolution 2046(2012) of 2 May 2012, this has nonetheless been slow and uneven, and needs to be significantly speeded up. In this regard, the Assembly STRESSES the need and obligation on the part of the Parties to fully and
expeditiously to fulfil their obligations under the Roadmap bearing in mind the timelines contained therein. The Assembly WELCOMES the expressed commitment of the Governments of The Sudan and South Sudan to promote their new spirit of strategic partnership in the negotiations and to ensure their completion by 2 August 2012, as provided for in resolution 2046(2012), including the expeditious resolution of the issue of the definition of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ), bearing in mind, as stressed by the PSC and the UN Security Council, that the AUHIP map of November 2011 in no way prejudices the outcome of the final demarcation of the border and the resolution of the disputed areas. The Assembly WELCOMES the acceptance by the Government of The Sudan of the Joint AU/League of Arab States and United Nations initiatives regarding humanitarian access to affected populations in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, and REQUESTS the Commission to take all the necessary steps for the implementation of all the elements of the proposal, in particular through participation in the assessment of the humanitarian situation and deployment of monitors to ensure that assistance is delivered in a transparent and neutral manner;
EXPRESSES APPRECIATION to the AUHIP and to its members, former Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Pierre Buyoya, as well as to the Panel support team, for their untiring efforts and outstanding commitment. The Assembly URGES the Parties to extend all the necessary cooperation to the Panel. The Assembly also COMMENDS the multilateral and bilateral partners for their support to the AUHIP efforts and APPEALS for continued unity of purpose and action to facilitate the early and successful completion of the negotiations;
EXPRESSES CONCERN at the continued impasse in the peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and REITERATES AU’s call for renewed African efforts to help the two countries to overcome the current difficulties, normalize their relations and lay the foundation for lasting peace and security in the Horn of Africa. The Assembly ALSO REITERATES the urgent need for the full and scrupulous implementation of the 6 June 2010 Agreement between Djibouti and Eritrea, and REQUESTS the PSC to actively follow up on the matter and report to it;
WELCOMES the progress made in the implementation of the Regional Cooperation Initiative against the Lord’s Resistance Army (RCI-LRA), and ENCOURAGES the countries concerned and the Commission to persevere in their efforts. The Assembly EXPRESSES AU’S GRATITUDE to the international partners who have extended support to the efforts being deployed for the elimination of the LRA;
STRESSES the need for renewed efforts towards post-conflict reconstruction and development in order to consolidate peace where it has been achieved. In this respect, the Assembly WELCOMES the launch of the African Solidarity Initiative, on 13 July 2012, and REQUESTS the Commission to ensure the necessary follow-up and to report to it, on regular basis, on progress made and challenges encountered;
EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN over the trivialization of the recourse to armed rebellion to assert political claims, STRESSES the gravity of the tendency which poses a threat to the viability of democratic processes in the Continent, as well as to peace, security and stability in Africa, and STRONGLY CONDEMNS the practice, as well as any support to armed rebellions. The Assembly ALSO CONDEMNS the secessionist tendencies observed in some parts of the Continent, particularly in Mali, and UNDERSCORES the unalloyed commitment of the AU to the principle of inviolability of borders inherited by African countries at independence, as well as the respect of the national unity and territorial integrity of Member States. The Assembly REQUESTS the Commission to submit concrete recommendations on how best to address the scourge of armed rebellion and secessionist demands.