PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 33RD MEETING
2004
Date | 24, JUNE 2005
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
COMMUNIQUÉ
COMMUNIQUE OF THE 33RD MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 33rd meeting held on 24 June 2005, adopted the following decision on the Situation in the Central African Republic (CAR):
Council,
1. Welcomes the positive evolution of the situation in the CAR, in particular the holding of legislative and presidential elections that marked the return to constitutional rule, following the coup d’Etat of 15 March 2003;
2. Decides, in light of the above, to lift the suspension of the CAR from the activities of the policy organs of the AU, imposed by the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, following the coup d’Etat of 15 March 2003;
3. Stresses the need for sustained support to the stabilisation of the situation in CAR, in particular through the provision of significant financial and economic assistance to consolidate the progress made thus far and to facilitate the socio-economic recovery of the CAR. Council appeals urgently to the AU Member States and international community at large to provide the necessary support to the CAR to effectively address the root causes of the recurrent instability in that country;
4. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 18TH MEETING
2004
Date |25 OCTOBER, 2004
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
COMMUNIQUÉ
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union, at its eighteenth meeting, held on 25 October 2004, adopted the following Communiqué on the situation in Somalia:
Council,
1. Welcomes the election of H.E Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, as President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and calls upon all Somali parties, including the civil society to extend full support to the newly formed Somali Government and institutions;
2. Welcomes the pledge by the President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to promote a spirit of tolerance, and inclusiveness, and to work towards the consolidation of national unity and reconciliation;
3. Commends Kenya, the IGAD Facilitation Committee and the International Partners Forum (IPF) for their efforts and contribution to the process. Council further encourages the countries of the region to maintain their cohesion and unity of purpose to consolidate the gains made in the Reconciliation process;
4. Requests all AU Member States to extend political and financial support to the new Somali Government and institutions. Council further Urges Member States, particularly those of the region, to provide multi-sector support to the new Government and institutions of Somalia, mainly in the vital areas of capacity-building, including training of personnel in the fields of military, para-military and police for purposes of stabilisation of Somalia;
5. Requests the European Union, the League of Arab States, the United Nations and the rest of the international community to provide to the newly formed Somali Government and institutions all necessary support to ensure their functioning in Mogadishu and to assist in the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) programme and in the reconstruction of Somalia;
6. Requests the Commission, in conformity with the previous decisions of the AU relevant policy Organs, to accelerate preparations for the deployment of an AU Military Observer Mission in Somalia and submit to it, as soon as possible, for consideration and decision, a comprehensive plan on the deployment of such mission, including its size and mandate;
7. Takes note of the request made by the President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia for the enhancement of the security situation in Somalia as well as the proposal by the IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee to facilitate participation of Somalia in the activities of the African Union and requests the Commission to study those proposals and submit to it recommendations for its consideration;
8. Urges all concerned to desist from any action that would, in any form, tend to undermine the progress achieved in the reconciliation process. Council invites all Member States, in particular those of the region, to stand ready to take collective action against spoilers to ensure the advancement of reconciliation, peace and stability in Somalia.
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 12TH MEETING
2004
Date | 4 July, 2004
COMMUNIQUÉ
COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE TWELFTH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), meeting in its twelfth meeting, at ministerial level, on 4 July 2004, adopted the following communiqué:
A. ON THE CRISIS IN THE DARFUR REGION OF THE SUDAN:
Council,
1. Reiterates its serious concern over the prevailing situation in Darfur Region of the Sudan, particularly the humanitarian crisis and the continued reports of violations of human rights committed by the Janjaweed, and r in Darfur;
Commends the Chairperson’s timely visit to Darfur, as part of the efforts to address the prevailing humanitarian situation and to speed up the search for a lasting solution to the crisis;
2. Notes that, even though the crisis in Darfur is grave, with the attendant loss of lives, human suffering and destructions of homes and infrastructure, the situation cannot be defined as a genocide. Council further notes that the crisis should be addressed with urgency to avoid further escalation;
3. Welcomesmeasures taken(GoS) to agenciesunrestricted welcomes the commitment made the GoS to neutralize and urgesGoSall
4. the , to fulfil the commitments made in the and to refrain from any further actions that could constitute violations of the letter and spirit of all the Agreements signed so far
5. Further urges the Sudanese authorities to assess the extent of the destruction related to the conflict in Darfur and to consider the ways and means of compensating the affected populations;
6. Stresses that the African Union should continue to lead the efforts to address the crisis in Darfur and that the International Community should continue to support these efforts;
Commends President Deby of Chad for his mediation efforts, undertaken with the support of the AU Commission and other partners. Council calls on all concerned to vigorously pursue their efforts;
Welcomes the decision of the Chairperson of the Commission to appoint, as his Special Envoy for Darfur, Mr. Hamid El Gabid, and encourages him to pursue his efforts aimed at ending the conflict in Darfur;
7. Welcomes the establishment of the Ceasefire Commission (CFC) in El Fashir, as of 9 June 2004, and the partialdeployment of the AU Military Observers in the Darfur Region, and Commission to expedite the process, including the deployment of the Protection Elements within the framework of the Agreement of 28 May 2004 on the Establishment of the CFC and Deployment of Observers. Council further urges the extend full ion to and the Observer Mission ;
8. Further welcomes the convening of the first provided for in the Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement, , and urgesthe Sudanese parties to participate fully in the meeting scheduled , to discuss political issues with the view of reaching;
9. Expresses serious concern over the impact of the conflict in Darfur on the stability of Chad and the rest of the region and, in this regard, encourages the Governments of the Sudan and Chad to take appropriate steps to enhance security along their common border. Council expresses the disposition of the AU to support such efforts.much-awaited conference that is meant to focus on the political, economic and social aspects of the conflict in order to reach a global and lasting peace in the Sudan
B. ON THE SITUATION IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
Council,
1. Expresses concern at the continued difficulties preventing the normal functioning of the transitional institutions and delaying the implementation of the Comprehensive and All Inclusive Agreement, as well as the deterioration of relations between the DRC and Rwanda following the events that took place in Bukavu and Kamanyola, in Southern Kivu, in May/June 2004;
2. Invites the Chairperson of the Commission, in close consultation with the United Nations, to take the necessary measures to facilitate the establishment of the Joint DRC/Rwanda Verification Mechanism, in keeping with the spirit of the 27 November 2003 Declaration and on the basis of the commitments made in Abuja on 25 June 2004;
3. Further invites the Chairperson of the Commission to initiate, on the margins of the session of the Assembly of the Union to be held in Addis Ababa from 6 to 8 July 2004, consultations with the UN Secretary-General, to consider the ways and means of finding a lasting solution to the problem of the negative forces (ex-FAR and Interahamwe);
4. Encourages the initiative to convene, on the margins of the session of the Assembly of the Union, to be held in Addis Ababa, from 6 to 8 July 2004, a meeting between Presidents Joseph Kabila and Paul Kagamé, in the presence of other Heads of States and Government, including the Chairperson of the Union and the Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council for the month of July 2004, the UN Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the AU Commission, to sustain the momentum generated by the meeting held in Abuja on 25 May 2004, and to consider the best possible ways of normalizing the relations between the two countries;
5. Encourages the Chairperson of the Commission to take all measures deemed to be appropriate, including the strengthening of the AU Liaison Office in the DRC, to contribute to building confidence among the Congolese Parties to the ongoing process, on the one hand, and to strengthening the relations between DRC and Rwanda, on the other, as part of the overall efforts to promote the objectives of the Comprehensive and All Inclusive Agreement.
C. ON THE SITUATION IN BURUNDI
Council,
1. Welcomes the encouraging development in the peace process in Burundi. In this respect, Council encourages the Transition Government of Burundi and the Burundian parties to spare no efforts for the successful conclusion of the transition period provided for in the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of 28 August 2000;
2. Endorses the decisions of the 21st Summit of the Regional Initiative, held in Dar-es-Salaam, on 5 June 2004;
3. Supports the decision of the 21st Summit to extend the deadline for the PALIPEHUTU/FNL of Agathon Rwasa to join the peace process by three months, and to impose with immediate effect, restrictions on the movements of the leaders and members of the PALIPEHUTU/FNL and requests Member States to implement this decision;
4. Requests the Commission, pursuant to the communiqué of 21st Summit of the Regional Initiative, to examine the activities of the PALIPEHUTU/FNL in the light of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, as well as other relevant decisions and instruments, and to submit to it recommendations on the measures that could be taken, for appropriate action.
D. ON THE SITUATION IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Council,
1. Welcomes the mediation efforts being deployed by the leaders of ECOWAS and the initiative of the President of the Gabonese Republic, to re-launch the peace and reconciliation process. Council urges the Ivorian parties to extend full cooperation to these efforts and to demonstrate the required political will to facilitate the full and unconditional implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement;
2. Further welcomes the resumption of dialogue between the President of the Republic and the political opposition, and urges the Forces Nouvelles to rejoin the negotiation process. Council reaffirms that only frank discussions among all Parties to the Ivorian crisis will create conditions conducive to the resumption of the effective functioning of the Government and the re-launching of the peace process;
3. Requests the Commission to continue to support the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire, including through facilitating exchanges of experiences with countries that had been faced with similar problems.
E. ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ERITREA AND SUDAN
Council,
1. Requests the Chairperson of the Commission to prepare and submit to it, in due course, a report on this matter based on earlier AU’s efforts and the Council’s decision of 25 May 2004;
2. Decides to remain seized with the matter.
F. ON THE PEACE PROCESS BETWEEN ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA Council,
1. Encourages the ongoing efforts by African leaders and the United Nations to overcome the difficulties being encountered in the peace process and to facilitate the normalization of the relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia;
2. Decides to remain seized with the matter.
SOLEMN LAUNCHING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 10th MEETING
2004
Date |25 MAY, 2004
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
COMMUNIQUÉ
COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE SOLEMN LAUNCHING OF THE TENTH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), meeting in its tenth Session, at the Level of Heads of State and Government, on 25 May 2004, adopted the following communiqué:
A. DECISION ON THE CRISIS IN THE DARFUR REGION OF THE SUDAN:
The Peace and Security Council,
1. Reiterates its concern over the prevailing situation in Darfur, particularly the continuing humanitarian crisis and the reported human rights violations committed in that region since the beginning of the crisis;
2. Urges the Parties to fully and scrupulously implement the Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement signed on 8 April 2004, in N’djamena, Chad, between the Government of Sudan (GoS), on the one hand, the Sudan Liberation Movement / Army (SLM/A), and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), on the other;
3. Stresses the imperative need for the parties to strictly respect international humanitarian law and for GoS to ensure protection of civilian population. In this respect, Council recalls the statement by the Government of Sudan (GoS) to control and disarm militia and non-regular forces and urges the GoS to vigorously pursue this task;
4. Welcomes the announcement by the GoS of its decision to issue to the staff of the humanitarian agencies and organizations visas within 48 hours upon application, to suspend, for 3 months, the requirements for travel permits to Darfur, to facilitate access to the equipment required for humanitarian action in Darfur, as well as to facilitate the return of IDPs and refugees. Council further welcomes the decision of the President of the Republic of the Sudan appointing a High Level Independent Committee to investigate the reported human rights violations in Darfour ;
5. Welcomes the Agreement signed in N’djamena, on 25 April 2004, between the GoS, in the one hand, the SLM and the JEM, on the other, reaffirming their will to convene a general conference of all representatives of Darfur to discuss the political, economic and social situation in the Darfur with the view to finding a global and definitive solution between the parties to the conflict;
6. Authorizes the Chairperson of the Commission to take all steps deemed necessary to ensure an effective monitoring of the Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement, in particular through the deployment of an AU Observer Mission, with the required civilian component and, if necessary the protection element, to support the work of the Ceasefire Commission (CFC), based on the outcome of the AU-led Reconnaissance Mission to the Sudan and Chad (from 7 to 16 May 2004). Council calls on the parties to extend full cooperation to the CFC and the AU Observers and to ensure their free movement throughout Darfur;
7. Appeals to the United Nations and other AU Partners to provide support for the deployment of the Ceasefire Commission and AU observer mission;
8. Requests the AU Commission on Refugees to dispatch a mission to Darfur to asses the humanitarian situation and make recommendations on how best the AU could contribute to the alleviation of the plight of the internally displaced persons and other affected people in Darfur. Council also encourages the AU Commission on Human and Peoples Rights to dispatch a mission to Darfur to investigate reports on human rights violations in Darfur;
9. Further requests the Chairperson of the Commission to take the necessary steps to investigate the allegations by the Sudan of interference by a neighboring country in its internal affairs, which could undermine the efforts towards achieving peace in the country.
B. DECISION ON THE SITUATION IN SOMALIA
The Peace and Security Council:
1. Expresses concern that the conflict in Somalia has protracted for too long, with untold humanitarian consequences and that faction leaders, gun-wielding groups and other warlords that have held the Somali people at ransom, aggravating the impact of the collapse of the State of Somalia;
2. Reiterates its attachment to the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia, as well as its determination to do everything possible to facilitate the successful conclusion of the IGAD-led efforts, thus putting an end to the conflict and instability in Somalia, and to assist the Somali people rebuild their country, especially the political, economic, and social institutions devastated as a result of years of conflict and instability;
3. Appeals to the Somali parties, including faction leaders, to refrain from any hostilities and put the interest of their country above all other concerns, and to cooperate with the IGAD Facilitation Committee in order to speed up the peace process and the National Reconciliation Conference;
4. Underscores the importance to respect the deadline of 31 July 2004, for the conclusion of the National Reconciliation Conference. In this respect, Council stresses its determination to mobilize the international community for targeted sanctions to be applied against all those faction leaders to be found deliberately undermining the process;
5. Commends the efforts of Kenya and the other IGAD countries. In this respect, Council welcomes the outcome of the 5th and 6th Ministerial Meetings of the IGAD Facilitation Committee and the unity of purpose pledged by the IGAD countries, to help restore lasting peace and stability in Somalia. Council calls upon AU Member States and all other members of the international community to rally behind the IGAD efforts and to refrain from any action likely to jeopardize those efforts. Council also expressed its appreciation to the members of the IGAD Partners’ Forum for supporting and facilitating the Reconciliation Conference;
6. Appeals to the international community, including AU partners and particularly the European Union, to continue to provide badly needed financial support for the peace process and the National Reconciliation Conference;
7. Pays tribute to UN Agencies and NGOS for providing assistance to the war-affected and drought-stricken communities in Somalia;
8. Expresses its grave concern over the continued proliferation of arms in Somalia and the repeated violations of the UN Security Council arms embargo on that country. Council stresses the need for the scrupulous compliance with the UN arms embargo on Somalia and encourages the Commission to pursue the efforts undertaken in that respect;
9. Requests the Commission to speed up preparations for the deployment, in Somalia, at the appropriate time, of an AU Military Observer Mission, that will support the DDR process, monitor the cessation of hostilities and carry out other related activities.
C. DECISION ON THE SITUATION IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE
1. Expresses its grave concern over the deadlock in the implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement and the continued deterioration of the situation in Côte d’Ivoire;
2. Deeply regrets the current impasse which continues to paralyze the operations of the Government ;
3. Notes that unilateral action by any side can only worsen the situation and further delay the peace process;
4. Expresses its grave concern over the exactions, killings and human rights violations perpetrated since the beginning of the crisis, supports any initiative aimed at investigating these violations and putting an end to impunity. In this regard, Council takes note of the Presidential Statement of the Security Council and endorses the initiative of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to set up a Commission to investigate the human rights violations perpetrated since to beginning of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. Council reiterates its request to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to carry out an investigation into human rights violations in Côte d’Ivoire;
5. Urges the Ivorian Parties to demonstrate political will and commit themselves to the full and unconditional implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement;
6. Appeals to the Ivorian Parties to show restraint and create the necessary conditions conducive to the return of all the stakeholders to the National Reconciliation Government. In this regard, the composition, as well as the integrity of the Government of National Reconciliation, including a consensus Prime Minister, should be maintained ;
7. Notes the laudable role of ECOWAS in its efforts to bring peace to Côte d’Ivoire and urges it to remain seized with the matter. In this respect, Council mandates ECOWAS to take necessary action to ensure full restoration of operations of state in Côte d’Ivoire immediately and to report progress to the Assembly of the Union at its 3rd Ordinary Session, in July 2004;
8. Encourages the President of the African Union Commission to pursue his efforts towards facilitating an effective re-launch of the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire and, more particularly, to contribute to the promotion of dialogue and understanding among the leaders of the countries of the region.
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 6th SESSION
2004
Date |29 APRIL, 2004
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), meeting in its sixth session, on 29 April 2004, adopted the following communiqué:
A. ON THE SITUATION IN SOMALIA
The Peace and Security Council:
1. Calls upon the Somali leaders to demonstrate increased commitment to enable the early and successful conclusion of the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference at Mbagathi, Kenya. Council stresses the fact that Africa and the international community at large would not understand that the ongoing efforts to reach an inclusive solution be yet thwarted by the lack of cooperation of some leaders and factions;
2. Welcomes the decision of the IGAD Facilitation Committee to proceed to Phase III of the Reconciliation Conference at Mbagathi and, for that purpose, to convene a Ministerial Meeting. In this respect, Council urges all members of the Facilitation Committee to participate in that Meeting at the appropriate ministerial level;
3. Encourages the IGAD countries to display the level of cohesion required to facilitate the conclusion of the Reconciliation Conference;
4. Urges the international community to continue to provide the financial resources needed to ensure the early and successful conclusion of the Reconciliation Conference;
5. Reiterates the need for all AU Member States, in particular the countries of the region, and the other neighboring countries, to scrupulously adhere to the UN Security Council resolutions on the arms embargo on Somalia and urges them to extend full cooperation to the UN Monitoring Group. In this respect, Council requests the Commission, in consultation with IGAD and its Member States, to take all actions deemed appropriate to enhance the implementation of the arms embargo;
6. Welcomes the continued stability in the region of Somaliland and encourages the Chairperson of the Commission to continue to engage the authorities of that region, with a view to securing their support to the ongoing efforts to promote reconciliation in Somalia and restore the unity of the country;
7. Welcomes the efforts of the UN agencies and other international organizations, including the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU/IBAR), and NGOs, in providing assistance to the Somalis, amid the prevailing conditions of insecurity.
B. ON THE SITUATION IN THE COMOROS
The Peace and Security Council:
1. Expresses satisfaction at the smooth organization of the elections of the Parliaments of the Islands and of the Union in March and April 2004;
2. Commends the Comorian parties for the spirit of cooperation they have demonstrated in the implementation of the Agreement of 20 December 2003 on the Transitional Arrangements in the Comoros;
3. Congratulates the AU Military Observer Mission in the Comoros (MIOC) for the quality of its work and encourages the Mission to pursue the efforts made within the framework of the execution of its mandate. Council thanks the countries that have provided military observers;
4. Expresses its gratitude to South Africa, which coordinates the regional efforts on the Comoros, and to the other countries of the Region and the Troika, for their commitment and their contribution to the reconciliation process in the Comoros;
5. Further expresses its gratitude to the partners of the AU, particularly the Francophonie, the League of Arab States, the European Union, France and the Indian Ocean Commission, as well as to Germany, for the support they have given to the reconciliation process and the efforts of the AU and stresses that the continuation of such cooperation is essential for the promotion of lasting reconciliation and stability in the Comoros;
6. Urgently appeals to all the Comorian parties to continue to demonstrate its spirit of responsibility and compromise in the finalization of the establishment, and the functioning of the new institutions of the Union of the Comoros. In that regard, Council requests the Comorian parties to place the interest of the Archipelago and of its people above any other consideration and to continue to work in the spirit of consensus which has guided the process so far;
7. Urges the Comorian parties to comply scrupulously with the relevant provisions of the Agreement of 20 December 2003 relating to customs and budgetary and matters, in order to create conditions for increased international assistance, which is, more than ever before, required for the socio-economic recovery of the Archipelago. In that regard, Council requests the Follow-up Committee on the implementation of the Agreement of 20 December to take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the Agreement, pending the adoption of the organic laws that would govern the distribution of powers between the Union and the Autonomous Islands;
8. Appeals to the international community, particularly the donors, to provide the necessary financial and economic support for the socio-economic recovery of the Comoros.
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL Third Session
2004
Date | 27, March 2004
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), meeting in its third session, on 27 March 2004, to discuss the situation in Côte d’Ivoire:
1. expresses grave concern at the prevailing situation in Côte d’Ivoire and its consequences for peace, security and stability in that country and in the region as a whole. The Peace and Security Council deplores the loss of innocent lives, following the outbreak of violence in Abidjan, on 25 March 2004;
2. commends the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its tireless efforts to promote lasting reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire and reiterates AU’s support for those efforts;
3. calls on all the parties to exercise restraint and to resume political dialogue and, in this regard, to extend full cooperation to the ECOWAS, the AU and the United Nations. The Peace and Security Council further calls on the parties to work towards the full and unconditional implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement of January 2003, including the return to the Government of National Reconciliation of the opposition parties that have suspended their participation and the creation of a conducive atmosphere to that end;
4. stresses that all the Ivorian parties have a stake in the maintenance of peace and security in Côte d’Ivoire and that the Ivorian authorities have a responsibility to provide security for all citizens of the country, as well as for foreign nationals;
5. urges the United Nations to expedite the deployment of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), as envisaged in UN Security Council resolution 1528 (2004) of 27 February 2004;
6. calls on the Chairman of the African Union and the Chairperson of the AU Commission, in liaison with the ECOWAS, the United Nations and the other members of the Monitoring Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreements on Côte d’Ivoire, to take the most appropriate measures to help overcome the current problems and facilitate the implementation of the reconciliation process in Côte d’Ivoire;
7. decides to remain actively seized with the matter.
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL Second Ordinary Session
2004
Date |25 March, 2004
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
The Peace and Security Council meeting in its Second Session, on 25 March 2004, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to consider the situation in Burundi, with particular reference to the mandate of the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB);
1. Recalls decision Central Organ/MEC/AMB/Comm. (XCI), adopted by the 91st Ordinary Session of the Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution at Ambassadorial level held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 2 April 2003, which mandated the deployment of the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB) for an initial period of one year subject to renewal and pending the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to be mandated by the UN Security Council, as envisaged in the Ceasefire Agreements of 7 October and 2 December 2002;
2. Welcomes the significant progress made in the search for lasting peace and reconciliation in Burundi and notes with satisfaction the conclusion of the Pretoria Protocols of 8 October and 2 November 2003, as endorsed by the 20th Regional Summit on Burundi held in Dar-es-Salaam on 16 November 2003, as well as the marked improvement in the security situation in the country;
3. Considers that with these developments, a conducive environment has now been created for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission, as envisaged in the Ceasefire Agreements entered into by the Burundian parties;
4. Pays tribute to the Leaders of the Region including in particular, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and El-Hadj Omar Bongo Odimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, for promoting the regional peace initiative in Burundi. Further pays tribute to the Deputy President of South Africa, Mr. Jacob Zuma, for his tireless efforts to facilitate a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the conflict in Burundi;
5. Commends the crucial role played by the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB) in the consolidation of the peace and reconciliation process, inspite of the severe financial and logistics constraints facing the Mission;
6. Expresses its profound gratitude to the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) South Africa, Ethiopia and Mozambique – and to the countries providing military observers (Burkina Faso, Gabon, Mali, Togo and Tunisia), for their commitment and the sacrifices they have made to ensure the success of the Mission;
7. Further expresses its appreciation to Italy, Germany, the UK and Senegal for the financial contributions and support extended to AMIB, as well as to the EU, Belgium and Ireland that had made pledges of financial support to the Mission;
8. Recalls the appeal of the 4th ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa, from 15 to 16 March 2004, urging the United Nations Security Council to authorize, as early as possible, the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Burundi;
9. Strongly, urges the UN Security Council to authorize the early deployment of a UN Peacekeeping Mission on the basis of the recommendations made by the UN Secretary General in his report to the Security Council on 16 March 2004 and in conformity with the primary responsibility of the Council for the maintenance of international peace and security;
10. Decides, in the meantime, to renew the mandate of AMIB for a period of one
(1) month, from 2 April to 2 May 2004, on the understanding that the UN Security Council will deploy a peace keeping Mission in Burundi before the end of this new mandate;
11. Appeals to all the Stakeholders in Burundi to continue to extend their fullest cooperation to AMIB to facilitate the implementation of its mandate;
12. Decides also to dispatch a mission of the Peace and Security Council to Burundi, with the view to expressing the appreciation of the Council and the African Union, to the Troops, Observers and other personnel serving with AMIB, as well as to assess the situation on the ground in Burundi;
13. Reiterates AU’s appeal to the PALIPEHUTU-FNL of Agathon Rwasa to work towards the speedy conclusion of a ceasefire agreement with the Transitional Government of Burundi (TGoB) and to join the peace and reconciliation process;
14. Appeals urgently to AU Member States and the international community at large, to provide financial and logistics support to sustain the activities of the African Mission in Burundi, pending the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission;
15. Encourages the Transitional Government of Burundi and the Burundian parties to make maximum efforts to ensure the successful conclusion of the transitional period as provided for in the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of 28 August 2000, including taking all the necessary steps for the holding of elections as envisaged in the said Agreement.