DECISION ON CONFLICT SITUATION IN AFRICA
DOC. EX.CL/356 (XI)
The Executive Council,
1. WELCOMES the progress made in the search for lasting solutions to the conflicts prevailing in the continent since its last ordinary session, in January 2007;
2. NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the outcome of the high-level African Union/United Nations technical consultations with the Government of the Sudan held in Addis Ababa on 11 and 12 June 2007, WELCOMES the decision adopted subsequently by the AU Peace and Security Council on the African Union/United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur and the renewal of the mandate of the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) and CALLS for the speedy implementation of the agreement reached, in particular the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of a resolution authorizing the hybrid operation and its funding through United Nations assessed contributions;
3. ALSO NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the efforts deployed by the African Union and the United Nations, through their special envoys, Salim Ahmed Salim and Jan Eliasson, to re-energize the Darfur peace process, and CALLS on all concerned to continue to extend the necessary cooperation to the African Union and the United Nations;
4. URGES for continued and concerted efforts by all concerned, building on these recent and encouraging developments, to promote confidence with the view to facilitating the successful conclusion of the peace process in Darfur;
5. WELCOMES the efforts being made by the Commission for the deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and APPEALS to AU member States and partners to provide the requisite support to facilitate the full deployment and sustenance of AMISOM on the ground. Council STRESSES the need for the United Nations Security Council to take all the necessary steps for the early deployment of a United Nations operation that would take over from AMISOM;
6. ENCOURAGES the Commission, working with IGAD, the League of Arab States, the United Nations, and other stakeholders, to continue to provide support for the early convening of the envisaged national reconciliation congress in Somalia;
7. EXPRESSES concern at the serious difficulties facing the reconciliation process in the Comoros. In this respect, Council WELCOMES the decisions adopted by the Peace and Security Council on 9 May and 9 June 2007, as well as the communique adopted by the countries of the region at their meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 19 June 2007, and ENCOURAGES the countries of the region to pursue and intensify their efforts to enable the Peace and Security Council to meet as soon as possible to take the required decision on the situation in the Comoros;
8. REITERATES its support for the efforts being deployed towards postconflict reconstruction and development of the member States emerging from conflict situations and APPEALS for continued and increased support for these countries;
9. NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the efforts deployed towards the operationalization of the continental peace and security architecture, including the Continental Early Warning System, the Panel of the Wise and the African Standby Force, and ENCOURAGES the Commission to pursue and intensify its efforts in this respect;
10. WELCOMES the joint Communique adopted by the meeting between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, held in Addis Ababa on 16 June 2007, and ENCOURAGES the two organs to strengthen their cooperation with a view to promoting peace and security in Africa.