AU recent decisions

[RWalker]

The following regional and national situations described in these AU documents, confirm the urgent need for Pan-Africanism, that is a Union Government...it is clear that adhoc and regional solutions cannot solve the security, economic, financial and general good governance needs of Africa...they need to go back and read Nkrumah a bit more wouldn't you agree?

At any rate here is a summation of some of the more relevant decisions of th AU (regarding the two Guineas, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Mauritania and the relationship of regional structures to the world in general and by inference and other wise to Africa as a whole:


Regional - AU news: ECOWAS
DIVISION OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
Jean Ping at 35th ECOWAS Summit: ECOWAS constitutes an African Community Forum where Integration is more of a School of Thought, an Institutional Organisation.

Abuja 19 December 2008 – No country can on its own, successfully address the multiple issues faced by the world today as a result of globalisation; Hence, the need for the continent to speedup the process of regional integration with the view of establishing stronger African Economic Communities with greater impact.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Jean Ping, was speaking during the opening ceremony of the 35th Summit of the Heads of States and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that took place on 19 December 2008, in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Chairperson of the Commission emphasised on the persistent global economic crises, which he said=2 0has caused so many set backs in the world economy, all through the year. He underscored the need for both the small and big economic structures to combine efforts and work together to develop strategies that can help face the political and economic challenges of today’s world.

According to Mr. Ping, the issue is no longer at the level of a State vis-à-vis an external enemy, but it has to do with humanity, which is now faced with new challenges affecting everybody. « No State, regardless of its capacity and strength can in isolation, successfully face the new cross-cutting challenges that has transcended African boundaries », he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jean Ping explained that the creation of the R egional Economic Communities (RECs) was in response to the need of opening African markets for broader trade opportunities. He said it is also aimed at enhancing the integration of the continent.

The Chairperson however lauded the initiative of the ECOWAS, which he said constitutes a forum for African community to consider the political stability and the economic growth at long and short term, with the view of creating a sub regional market open to all and where a common currency is used. It is an institutional organisation.
He further expressed satisfaction to the structures put in place to ensure the elaboration, the evaluation and the implementation of the community projects as well as its effective functioning in connection with the free movement of persons and goods, the cooperation on the common currency, the regional sectorial policies (infrastructure, e.g, transport and energy respectively) as we ll as conflict management and the maintenance of peace in the sub region. (See complete speech on the AU Website: www.africa-union.org).
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/...%20ENGLISH.doc


Guinea Conakry
AFRICAN UNION

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243 Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822 Fax: (251-11) 5519 321
Email: situationroom@africa-union.org, oau-ews@ethionet.et
PRESS STATEMENT
The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Mr. Jean Ping,
follows with grave concern developments in the Republic of Guinea, after the
announcement of the death of President Lansana Conté.
In this regard, the Chairperson of the Commission strongly condemns the
announcement of the seizure of power in t hat country by elements of the Guinean
armed forces and their subsequent decision to suspend the Constitution and various
institutions of Guinea. This seizure of power constitutes a flagrant violation of the
Guinean Constitution, which, in such an instance, provides that the Speaker of the
National Assembly assumes the interim. It constitutes also a violation of the Lome
Declaration of July 2000, the Constitutive Act of the AU and the African Charter on
Democracy, Elections and Governance.
The Chairperson of the Commission urges all Guinean stakeholders to work
within the framework of legality, in a spirit of consensus and in the higher interests of
Guinea, in order to ensure a smooth transition that will allow their country to meet the
many challenges, both political and socio-economic, facing it.
In accordance with the provisions of the Lome Declaration, the Chairperson of
the Commission has taken the necessary steps for the speedy holding of a meeting of
the Peace and Security Council to examine the situation.
Similarly, the Chairperson of the Commission has initiated consultations with
ECOWAS and the countries of the region to discuss with them the modalities of
coordinated efforts in dealing with the situation and assisting Guinea overcome, in a
legal and consensual manner, the crisis occasioned by the seizure of power by
elements of the army, to maintain peace and security and allow the country to meet its
various challenges, whose resolution is a precondition for the long-term stability and
consolidation of the democratic process in that country.
Upon receiving the news of the death of President Conté, the Chairperson of
the Commission addressed, this morning, a message of sympathy to the Speaker of
the National Assembly, expressing to him and to the people and Government of
Guinea, the sincerest condolence of the AU. In this message, the Chairperson of the
Commission equally urged all stakeholders in Guinea to work together to ensure that
the succession to President Conte is organized in peace and serenity, and in strict
accordance with the Constitution of Guinea.
Addis Ababa, on 23 December 2008
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/...ng_23dec08.pdf



Guinea Bissau
AFRICAN UNION

P.O. Box: 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tel.251-11) 551 38 22 Fax: (251-11) 551 93 21
Email: situationroom@africa-union.org, oau-ews@ethionet.et
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
163RD MEETING
22 DECEMBER 2008
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
PSC/MIN/Comm.5(CLXIII)
COMMUNIQUE
PSC/MIN/Comm.5(CLXIII)
Page 1
COMMUNIQUE OF THE 163RD MEETING OF
THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 163rd meeting
held at the ministerial level, on 22 December 2008, adopted the following decision on
the situation in Guinea Bissau:
Council,
1. Takes note of the briefing by the Commission following the evaluation mission of
the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the Commis sion to Guinea Bissau, and his
consultations with the Senegalese and Burkina Faso authorities;
2. Condemns, once again, the attack perpetrated on 23 November 2008 on the
residence of President João Bernardo Vieira;
3. Deplores that, despite the proper conduct of the legislative elections of 16
November 2008, which all international observers, including the AU observers,
considered satisfactory, the attack on 23 November 2008 undermines the ongoing
democratic process in Guinea Bissau;
4. Welcomes the fact that the political parties in the country that had deemed it
necessary, following the elections on 16 November 2008, decided to resort to legal
means to address their complaints. To this end, Council invites the political parties
concerned to scrupulously respect the final results to be announced by the
Constitutional Court;
5. Expresses its supports to the President of the Republic and encourages him,
as well as the entire political class, to embark upon the formation of a new National
Assembly, as well as a new Government, on the basis of the final results of the
legislative elections of 16 November 2008, thereby re-establishing normalcy in the
political life of the country;
6. Expresses its concern over the drug trafficking and calls on the Bissau Guinean
authorities to cooperate with the international community in the fight against this
scourge;
7. Commends ECOWAS for its initiatives in the aftermath of the attempted
assassination of President João Bernardo=2 0Vieira and the ECOWAS Authority of Heads
of State and Government meeting in Abuja on 19 December 2008 for the strategies it
adopted on Guinea Bissau. Council endorses these strategies and requests the
Chairperson of the Commission to take appropriate measures to provide AU support
towards their implementation;
8. Urgently appeals to Member States as well as to AU’s bilateral and multilateral
partners to assist Guinea Bissau in the reorganisation of the security services, in
particular those in charge of the security of the President of the Republic and of the
leaders of the country’s key-institutions by providing security advisers and appropriate
equipment for members of the said services;
9. Decides to remain seized of this matter.

http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/...issau_2_en.pdf

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
163RD MEETING
22 DECEMBER 2008
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
PSC/MIN/Comm.4(CLXIII)
Page 1
COMMUNIQUE OF THE 163rd MEETING OF THE
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 163rd
meeting held at ministerial level, on 22 December 2008, adopted the following
decision on the situation in Somalia:
Council:
1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the
situation in Somalia [PSC/MIN/ 4(CLXIII)], as well as the statements made by the
representatives of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, IGAD
(Chair and Executive Secretariat) and=2 0the United Nations;
2. Recalls all its previous decisions and press statements on the situation in
Somalia;
3. Reiterates its commitment to the respect of the unity, territorial integrity and
sovereignty of Somalia;
4. Notes with concern that Somalia is, once again, at a crossroad, with the
risks that recent developments could lead to a total collapse of all the efforts so far
deployed to promote peace, security, stability and reconciliation, and calls on all
concerned to show leadership and rise to the daunting challenges facing the country;
5. Welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the Djibouti
Agreement of 19 August 2008, including the Agreement of 26 October 2008 on the
Modalities for the Cessation of Hostilities between the TFG and the Alliance for the
Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) and the Joint Declaration on the Government of
National Unity and the Expanded Parliament issued by the TFG and the ARS on 26
October 2008 and subsequently endorsed by the Transitional Federal Parliament
(TFP), as well as the establishment of the Benadir Administration, the work being
accomplished by the High-level Committee and the Joint Security Committee
established in pursuance of the Djibouti Agreement, and the steps taken by the ARS
to relocate its leadership to Somalia;
6. Encourages the TFG and the ARS to intensify their efforts towards the
implementation of the Agreements they have reached and urges, once again, all
parties that have not yet done so to join the peace process;
7. Reiterates its serious concern at the divisions within the TFG, in particular,
and in the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) in general, which constitute an
obstacle to the promotion of an all-inclusive political process and the achievement of
national reconciliation. Council stresses that no one should be allowed, both within
and outside Somalia, to stand in the way of the ongoing efforts aimed at promoting
reconciliation, peace and stability in Somalia;
8. Welcomes the communiqué adopted by the 31st Extraordinary Session of the
IGAD Council of Ministers held in Addis Ababa on 21st December 2008. In particular,
Council affirms its full support to Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein Adde and his
new cabinet, which was endorsed by the TFP. Council condemns the attempt by
President Abdullahi Yusuf, in violation of the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC) and
in complete disregard of the decisions taken by IGAD at its meetings of 29 October
and 18 November 2008, held respectively in Nairobi and Addis Ababa, to
unconstitutionally appoint a new “Prime Minister”. Council requests all Member
States and the larger international community not to recognize the “Prime Minister”
appointed by President Yusuf and any other individual associated with that
appointment;
9. Expresses concern over the prevailing security situation in Mogadishu, in
particular, and in Somalia, in general, and the negative impacts it has on the
humanitarian situ ation. Council condemns all acts of violence perpetrated against
civilians and humanitarian workers, in violation of international humanitarian law, as
well as attacks on AMISOM personnel and positions and all acts and threats of
violence perpetrated by those elements seeking to undermine the political process,
hinder the operations of AMISOM and undermine regional peace and stability;
10. Decides to endorse the decision adopted by IGAD, at the 30th Extraordinary
Session of its Council of Ministers held in Addis Ababa on 18 November 2008, to
impose targeted sanctions, including travel ban and asset freeze, against all those
hindering the on-going efforts towards reconciliation, peace and stability in Somalia.
Council further endorses the decision of the 31st Extraordinary Session of the IGAD
Council of Ministers to impose sanctions on the unconstitutionally designated “Prime
Minister” and his immediate associates;
11. Requests the Chairperson of the Commission to establish a committee of
experts charged with working out the modalities of the implementation of these
sanctions, including elaborating and updating on a regular basis the list of targeted
individuals and entities, as well as monitoring their implementation, and to submit the
envisaged list to Council for endorsement;
12. Welcomes the adoption, by the United Nations Security Council, of resolution
1844 (2008) on 20 November 2008, as well as the intention of the Government of
Kenya to take measures against Somali leaders20hindering the political process in
Somalia, in line with the IGAD communiqué of 30 November 2008;
13. Decides to extend the mandate of AMISOM, as spelt out in communiqué
PSC/PR/Comm(LXIX) adopted at its 69th meeting held on 19 January 2007,
including protecting its personnel, installations and equipment and the right of selfdefence,
for two additional months, starting from 16 January 2009. Council further
decides that, in line with the communiqué adopted at its 139th meeting held on 29
June 2008, AMISOM shall support the implementation of the Djibouti Agreement,
including aspects relating to the training of the envisaged 10,000 joint TFG-ARS
security force to promote security in Mogadishu and its surroundings;
14. Reiterates its appreciation to the Ugandan and Burundian Governments for
their continued commitment to the advancement of the cause of peace and
reconciliation in Somalia. Council further reiterates its appreciation for the
dedication and work on the ground of the personnel of AMISOM, in spite of the
prevailing challenging security conditions and the logistical and financial constraints
facing the Mission;
15. Notes with concern that, in spite of all the efforts deployed so far, nearly two
years after the decision to deploy AMISOM, the Mission is yet to reach its authorized
strength of nine battalions. In this respect, Council expresses satisfaction at the
readiness of the Government of Uganda and Burundi to contribute one additional
battalion each, as wel l as the confirmation by Nigeria of its pledge of one battalion.
Council calls on other Member States to contribute the troops and other personnel
required for the Mission to reach its authorised strength;
16. Welcomes the support, both financial and logistical, provided so far by AU
member States and partners, which made current AMISOM deployment possible
and further calls on AU Member States and partners to provide the required
logistical and financial support for the full deployment of AMISOM and the
sustenance of its operations;
17. Pays tribute to Ethiopia for its invaluable contribution to the search for peace
and reconciliation in Somalia and the sacrifices it made by maintaining its troops in
Somalia for two years, pending the full deployment of AMISOM or that of an
international stabilization force to be authorized by the United Nations Security
Council;
18. Takes note of the decision of the Ethiopian Government to withdraw its
troops from Somalia by the end of the year, in accordance with the Djibouti
Agreement, and notes the new challenges posed by this withdrawal. In this respect,
and taking into account that the withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops has already
begun, Council requests the Commission to engage the Ethiopian Government as
speedily as possible to ensure that all the necessary work with respect to transition is
fully handled before the withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops is completed. Council
further requests the Commission, in consultation with=2 0the Troop Contributing
Countries to AMISOM, to develop a new concept of operations, which would provide
for all the required arrangements, including in the areas of security, capacity building,
logistics and funding. Council also requests the Commission to pursue and intensify
its efforts aimed at ensuring the availability of the required resources upon which the
Troop Contributing Countries will continue with the Mission after the withdrawal of
the Ethiopian troops;
19. Reiterates the primary responsibility of the United Nations Security Council
for the maintenance of international peace and security. Council, once again, calls
on the Security Council to immediately and without any further delay take the steps
expected of it, in particular by authorizing the deployment of an international
stabilisation force and, subsequently, that of a peace keeping operation to take over
from AMISOM and support the long-term stabilisation and reconstruction of Somalia.
Pending the deployment of such an operation, and since the continued stay of
AMISOM forces will depend on the availability of the required resources, Council
requests the United Nations Security Council to authorize a support package for
AMISOM on the basis of the proposals contained in the letter addressed by the UN
Secretary-General to the Security Council on 19 December 2008, bearing in mind
the provisions of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter;
20. Expresses concern at the increasing acts of piracy and armed robbery at
sea off th e coast of Somalia and its serious implication both for international maritime
security and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Somalia. While expressing
appreciation for the efforts being exerted to address this problem, Council urges that
the zeal and mobilization displayed by the international community in the fight
against piracy and armed robbery at sea also apply to efforts required in order to
bring to an end the violence and suffering being witnessed on main land by Somalia.
Council stresses that any lasting solution to the problem of piracy and armed
robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia requires that the underlying problems within
Somalia itself be effectively and swiftly addressed, including through the early
deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation in support of the ongoing
political process;
21. Pays tribute to all humanitarian agencies and workers in Somalia and
expresses appreciation to the countries providing support to humanitarian activities
in Somalia. Council calls on members of the international community to respond
generously and with the flexibility required to the consolidated appeal for Somalia
launched in Nairobi on 2 December 2008;
22. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/...dec08.pdfPEACE AND


SECURITY COUNCIL
163rd MEETING
22 DECEMBER 2008
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
PSC/MIN/Comm.2(CLXIII)

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 163RD MEETING OF
THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCI L
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 163rd meeting
held at ministerial level, on 22 December 2008, adopted the following decision on the
situation in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
Council,
1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation
in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo [PSC/MIN/Comm.2(CLXIII)] and
the statements by the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for DRC, Mr.
Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, the representatives of the DRC,
Kenya, in its capacity as the country chairing the International Conference on the Great
Lakes Region, and the Executive Secretariat of that organization ;
2. Endorses the conclusions of the Extraordinary Summit of the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC) on DRC held in Ezulwini, Kingdom of Swaziland, on
20 October 2008, and in Sandton, South Africa, on 9 November 2008, the declaration
adopted by the Summit of the Great Lakes Region, held in Nairobi on 7 November 2008,
and the decisions adopted by the ministerial meeting of the countries of the region held
in Nairobi on 20 December 2008;
3. Recalls the communiqué of its 155th meeting held on 31 October 2008, as well
as the press statement of the Chairperson of the Commission of 28 October 2008;
4. Further recalls that the continued presence of the ex-Far/Interahamwe in
Eastern DRC undermines stability in the region and strains relations between the DRC
and Rwanda;
5. Recalls also the Nairobi communiqué of 9 November 2007 between the
Governments of the DRC and Rwanda, as well as the Actes d’Engagment adopted by
the Conference on Peace, Security, Stability and Development in the Kivus, held at
Goma, North Kivu, from 6 to 23 January 2008;
6. Reiterates its deep concern at the prevailing security and humanitarian
situation in Eastern DRC, particularly in North Kivu, since the resumption, on 28 August
2008, of fighting between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the National
Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) of dissident General Laurent Nkunda;
7. Re-affirms its support to the institutions established after the general elections
of 2006, as well as its commitment to the respect of the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the DRC and the authority of the Congolese Government over the entire
national territory;
8. Strongly condemns the declaration made by the CNDP on 1st October 2008,
calling for the overthrow of the Congolese Government and rejecting the AMANI
programme, which is the consultation framework for the implementation of the Actes
d’Engagement of Goma;
9. Commends the mobilisation of the international community to support the peace
process in the DRC and to contribute towards the alleviation of the current humanitarian
crisis, notably in the areas affected by fighting. Council notes that the increasing influx of
refugees and the stress it has on the=2 0neighbouring countries and calls on the
international community to assist in resettlement efforts of the refugees in the host
countries ;
10. Further condemns the numerous atrocities committed against the civilian
population, in particular women and children, and deplores the persistence of impunity
in eastern DRC. In this respect, Council calls on the international community to take the
necessary measures to bring to justice those suspected of committing human rights
violations and abuses against the civilian population and all those involved in the illegal
exploitation of the natural resources of the Congo;
11. Welcomes the appointment of Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo as Special Envoy of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Great Lakes Region, and that of Mr.
Benjamin Mkapa, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, as co-Facilitator
of the Follow-up Mechanism established by the Nairobi Summit of 7 November 2008,
and expresses appreciation for the remarkable work accomplished on the ground
towards finding a lasting solution to the crisis;
12. Expresses appreciation for the launching, under the auspices of the Special
Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Follow up Mechanism, of
discussions between the Government and the CNDP, in Nairobi, on 8 December 2008,
and urges the parties to conduct the dialogue in a frank and constructive manner in
order to restore peace, security and stability in North Kivu, in scrupulous respect for the
integ rity and sovereignty of the country, as well as the Goma process;
13. Welcomes the joint operation undertaken by the DRC, Uganda and Sudan in the
Garamba Park against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), whose presence in the North
Eastern DRC is a serious threat to peace, security and stability throughout the region.
Council considers that this initiative should inspire other actions against the negative
forces in the region;
14. Further expresses appreciation for the significant progress made in the
normalisation of relations between the DRC and Rwanda and, in this regard,
commends the Agreement reached at Goma between the Foreign Ministers of the two
countries, on 5 December 2008, and calls for the full implementation of the Nairobi
communiqué of 9 November 2007, including the plan for the disarmament of the ex-
FAR/Interahamwé and the neutralization of the threat that they constitute for the two
countries, the intensification of dialogue between the border authorities of the two
countries and the resumption of the activities of the Economic Community of the
Countries of the Great Lakes (CEPGL);
15. Underlines the urgent necessity to consolidate and deepen the progress made in
the implementation of the Nairobi and the Goma processes, and urges again the parties
to these processes, the countries of the Region and the entire international community
to continue to support them in order to restore lasting peace, security and stability in
DRC, as well as to accelerate the integration and development process of the countries
of the Region;
16. Reiterates its support to the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC) for
its efforts aimed at creating conditions for the respect of the unilateral cease-fire
announced by the CNDP on 29 October 2008, and welcomes the adoption by the
United Nations Security Council of the resolution 1843 (2008) of 20 November 2008, in
which, among others, the Security Council authorized an increase of MONUC’s strength.
Council encourages the Security Council to seize the occasion of the renewal of the
mandate of MONUC, towards the end of this month, to strengthen the said mandate,
with a view to addressing more adequately the increasing demands on the ground, in
particular the monitoring of the borders with a view to combating the illicit trafficking of
arms and other products ;
17. Welcomes the efforts of the regional countries under the aegis of the
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and further welcomes the entry
into force of the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes region,
on 21 June 2008. Council requests the Chairperson of the Commission to continue
supporting the process of the International Conference, particularly by providing support
to the Executive Secretariat to enable it to fully play its role in the implementation of the
Pact;
18. Welcomes the initiatives taken by the Chairperson of the Commission, including
through the Commissioner for P eace and Security, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra,
and his Emissary, Mr. Ibrahima Fall, former UN Special Representative for the Great
Lakes Region, and requests him to intensify his efforts to support the various ongoing
processes in the region;
19. Further requests the Chairperson of the Commission to take necessary
measures to significantly enhance the AU contribution to the post-conflict reconstruction
efforts in the DRC, including by quickly dispatching a multidisciplinary mission to assess
the situation on the ground and make recommendations on the areas in which the AU
Commission and Member States could provide an increased support to the
reconstruction process and peace building efforts in the DRC;
20. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/...sc/DRC_eng.pdf

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
163RD MEETING
22 DECEMBER 2008
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIE

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 163RD MEETING
OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 163rd meeting,
held at the ministerial level in Addis Ababa, on 22 December 2008, adopted the
following decision on the situation in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania following the 6
August 2008 coup d’Etat in that country:
Council,
1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation
in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania [PSC/MIN/COMM.3(CLXIII)] and the outcome of
the consultations with the various Maurita nian parties, as well as those of consultative
and coordination meetings held at the initiative of the Commission between the AU, the
League of Arab States, the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the United Nations, and the European Union
(EU) in Addis Ababa, on 10 and 21 November 2008. Council also takes note of the
briefings by the representatives of the United Nations, EU, OIF, as well as the one by a
representative of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi;
2. Further takes note of the results of the high level mission to Mauritania, led by
the AU, on 6 and 7 December 2008, particularly the commitment of General Mohamed
Ould Abdel Aziz to release President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi without conditions, by
24 December 2008 at the latest;
3. Takes note of the release of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi and considers
that this development partially responds to the demands of the international community
but is not sufficient for a return to constitutional order;
4. Encourages the Chairperson of the Commission and the Commissioner for
Peace and Security to continue to deploy efforts towards the return to constitutional
legality in Mauritania;
5. Expresses its deep concern with the lack of political will and the obstinance to
remain in power despite the efforts deployed to date with a view to facilitating the return
to constitutional legality in Mauritania;
6. Recalls the relevant provisions of Comm uniqué PSC/MIN/Comm.2 (CLI)
adopted at its 151st meeting held in New York, on 22 September 2008. In this regard,
Council reiterates its firm condemnation of the coup d’Etat and all measures taken
by its authors to consolidate the situation born out from this coup d’Etat and reiterates
the legitimacy of the constitutional order represented by the democratically elected
institutions from the legislative and presidential elections respectively held in November
2006 and March 2007 ;
7. Recalls also the provisions of the Communiqué of its 156th meeting, held on 11
November 2008, which, inter alia, requests the Commission to submit to it, as soon as
possible, concrete measures to be put in place on the basis of Communiqué
PSC/MIN/Comm.2 (CLI) cited above and in accordance with the relevant provisions of
the Lomé Declaration of July 2000 on Unconstitutional Changes of Government;
8. Further recalls relevant provisions of the AU Constitutive Act, Decision
AHG/142 (XXXV) adopted Algiers in July 1999, the Lomé Declaration of July 2000 and
the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council on
Unconstitutional Changes of Government, as well as the African Charter on Democracy,
Elections and Governance ratified by Mauritania last July, thereby becoming the first
Member State party to this instrument;
9. Decides that, pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the Lomé Declaration of
July 2000 and the Protocol Relating to the Establis hment of the Peace and Security
Council on Unconstitutional Changes of Government, if by 5 February 2009,
constitutional order is not restored, Council will impose measures, including targeted
sanctions, in particular visa denials, travel restrictions and freezing of assets, to all
individuals, both civilian and military, whose activities are designed to maintain the
unconstitutional status quo in Mauritania. Council also decides to communicate the
said measures to the UN Security Council for it to impart to them a universal character,
in light of the United Nations Security Council Presidential Statement of 19 August
2008;
10. Underlines the importance of the support of the international community to
reinforce the effectiveness of the action of the AU. In this respect, Council requests the
Chairperson of the Commission to formally seize all Member States of the AU, the
United Nations, the League of the Arab States, the OIF, the OCI, the EU and all other
actors concerned with the view to requesting their support in the framework of the
continuous efforts aimed at facilitating the return to constitutional order;
11. Decides also to communicate the present decision to the UN Security Council
for it to continue, in the light of its Presidential Statement of 19 August 2008, to actively
support the current efforts of the African Union;
12. Encourages the Chairperson of the Commission to pursue his efforts with the
Mauritanian parties and his consultations with partner international=2 0organizations of the
AU with the view to promoting the return to constitutional order in Mauritania within the
deadline stipulated in the Lomé Declaration;
13. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/...itania_Eng.pdf

PRESS STATEMENT
African Union Contributes USD $100,000 to Help Fight 'Cholera Epidemic in Zimbabwe

The Commission of the African Union is deeply concerned over the devastating cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe that has affected close to 16,000 people, and taken the lives of nearly 800 within a few days.

The Commission wishes to convey its sympathy and support to the Government and People of Zimbabwe, and has pledged a contribution of USD $100,000 to assist the Government in managing the crisis.

The Commission further appeals to Member States of the African Union and the larger international community to stand in solidarity with them and offer the assistance needed during this crucial period.


ADDIS ABABA, 11 December 2008 www.africa-union.org ;
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