DECISION ON LIBYA AND THE SAHEL
The Assembly,
REAFFIRMS its unwavering commitment to the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Libya and Sahel countries.
DECIDES as follows:
On the Sahel
UNDERLINES the urgent imperative for concrete manifestations of African solidary towards the government and people of the Sahel, given the gravity of the challenges facing lives and institutions;
REQUESTS the Commission to develop, in consultation with the Ministries of Defense of G5 Sahel Countries and ECOWAS Commission, a framework on a possible deployment, within the relevant provisions of the PSC Protocol related to the African Standby Force (ASF), of a Force composed of the Joint- Multinational Task Force (JMTF) and 3000 troops for six (6) months, in order to further degrade terrorist groups in the Sahel; FURTHER REQUESTS the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) to explore funding options available to cover the costs of this deployment. Meanwhile, The Assembly ALSO REQUESTS ECOWAS to take the necessary steps for the urgent disbursement of its pledged 100 million USD in support to Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso inorder to support this deployment;
URGES Member States to extend support, through voluntary financial contributions, training, expertise and equipment, to the efforts of the countries of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, which have and continue to make huge sacrifices in combating terrorism;
REQUESTS the United Nations Security Council, in line with its mandate, to take news measures commensurate with the gravity of the threat in the Sahel region and in the Lake Chad Basin;
WELCOMES the adoption by ECOWAS, of a Plan of Action for the period 2020-2024, estimated at $ 2.3 billion, to eradicate terrorism in the Region, including $ 1 billion to be mobilized by the Region for support in terms of equipment and training activities for the defence and security forces of the Member States of the Region, as well as sharing of intelligence; and CALLS UPON the Chairperson of the Commission, to take necessary measures, working with the ECOWAS Commission, to support the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action;
REQUESTS the Commission, in close coordination with countries of the region, and in support to the G5 Sahel efforts, to scale up the use of all African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) frameworks and other cooperation mechanisms, particularly the Nouakchott Process; the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT); the Joint Operational Centre (CEMOC); the Fusion and Liaison Unit (UFL); and the Committee on Intelligence and Security Services in Africa (CISSA), in order to consolidate coordination and enhance actions in the fight against terrorist and criminal groups;
WELCOMES the Bamako Declaration emanating from the AU Ministerial meeting held on 29 November 2019, on access to natural resources and intercommunity conflicts. In this respect, the Assembly LOOKS FORWARD for the implementation of the action plan as contained in la Declaration;
ALSO REQUESTS the Commission to review and, on that basis, take necessary measures to further strengthen the African Union Mission in Mali and The Sahel (MISAHEL), in order to enable the mission to efficiently and effectively carry out its mandate within the Sahel;
On Libya
EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN over the situation prevailing in Libya, characterized by military confrontations between the Libyan parties, as well as over the delay in the signing of a permanent ceasefire and the continuous external political and military interference that has created a very dangerous situation for the country, the region and the African continent as a whole;
REITERATES the call by the AU High Level Ad Hoc Committee on Libya to put an end to all military engagements by, or in direct support of, the warring parties, in and over the entire territory of Libya, within the framework of the permanent ceasefire that should be emanating from the ongoing process of the Libya Joint Military Commission in Geneva, Switzerland;
COMMENDS the neighbouring countries of Libya for the efforts they continue to deploy towards finding a lasting and Libyan owned solution to the current crisis;
STRONGLY CONDEMNS all forms of violations of the UN arms embargo by whomsoever and CALLS on the United Nations, through its Security Council, to fully assume its responsibility to ensure that the embargo is effectively implemented and monitored as part of the efforts to end fighting and create the necessary conditions for a permanent ceasefire, in accordance with the Agreement reached in Skhirat, Morocco, leading to a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Libya. The Assembly AFFIRMS its readiness to work with the UN towards the full and scrupulous compliance with the arms embargo in force in Libya by the UN Security Council resolution 1973 (2011);
Recalling the outcomes of the Berlin Conference of 19 January 2020, AFFIRMS the imperative for all those external actors that are interfering politically and militarily in Libya to immediately and permanently put an end to their interventions that continue to undermine the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Libya and obstruct the search for peace;
STRESSES the imperative, in line with the relevant African and international conventions and instruments, to take immediate steps aimed at holding to account all Libyan and other actors, both civilian and military, which will be found to have committed war crimes and other acts in violation of freedoms and human rights in Libya;
RECOLLECTS that the African Standby Force (ASF), as provided for in the AU Constitutive Act and the PSC Protocol, has attained Full Operational Capacity and therefore the requisite readiness for operation. Further, the Assembly HIGHLIGHTS the operationalization of the ASF Continental Logistic Base, in Douala, Cameroon, which is holding military equipment. The Assembly DECIDES that a Contact Group, chaired by the Republic of Congo, deriving from the Members of the AU High Level Committee on Libya, and any other country the Chair of the Contact Group may wish to add, be established to provide political leadership, as well promote coordination of international efforts in the search for a solution to the Libyan crisis. In this context, the Contact Group will meet at the level of Heads of State and Government and that of Ministers to ensure continuity in the efforts.
In view of the grave military and security situation prevailing in Libya, as well as the prospect of an immediate permanent ceasefire within the perspective of speedily reaching a lasting solution, in collaboration with the neighbouring countries, to the crisis in Libya, FURTHER DECIDES as follows:
AU to immediately dispatch, jointly with the United Nations, a military and security reconnaissance mission to Libya comprising African Chiefs of Defense Staff, to be led by the Chair of the PSC Military Staff Committee (MSC) and composed of one Chief of Defense Staff from each of the five AU geographic regions, as well as UN personnel, to consult with the Libyan parties and gather information on the ground;
Upgrade to the level of mission the current AU Liaison Office in Libya, and to equip it with the necessary political, diplomatic and military capacity, with a view to ensuring greater contribution and participation of the AU in the efforts aimed at finding a lasting solution to the crisis in Libya; and
To request the Chairperson of the Commission to urgently submit to the PRC and its relevant sub-committees, funding options for consideration and authorization of the above.