COMMUNIQUE

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 140TH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 140th meeting held on 29 June 2008, at the level of Heads of State and Government, adopted the following decision on the situation at the border between the Republic of Djibouti and the State of Eritrea and the relations between the two countries:

COUNCIL,

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation at the border between the Republic of Djibouti and the State of Eritrea and the relations between the two countries [PSC/HSG/2 (CXL)];

2. STRONGLY CONDEMNS Eritrea’s military action against Djibouti in Ras Doumeira and Doumeira Island and DEMANDS that Eritrea withdraw immediately and unconditionally from the Djiboutian territories it occupies;

3. REITERATES the imperative need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States, as well as borders existing on achievement of independence, in conformity with the principles enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union and other relevant instruments;

4. URGES the two countries, in particular Eritrea, to show restraint, resort to dialogue to resolve any bilateral dispute and give to cooperation to all efforts deployed to this effect;

5. CALLS for the immediate return to the situation prevailing at the common border between the two countries before the current tension, including the withdrawal from the border of all forces that have been positioned there since 4 February 2008;

6. WELCOMES the initiatives thus far taken by the Commission, in pursuance of Council’s decisions, with a view to facilitating the resolution of the crisis, including the dispatch of a mission to Djibouti from 5 to 9 June 2008, and EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE APPRECIATION to the Djiboutian authorities for the cooperation extended to the mission, as well as for the restraint they have shown and for their repeated commitment to dialogue in order to find a peaceful solution to the crisis;

7. EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN at the refusal by the Eritrean authorities to receive the mission of the Commission and STRONGLY URGES THEM to extend full cooperation to the efforts deployed by the AU towards the peaceful resolution of the crisis;

8. WELCOMES the United Nations Security Council Presidential Statement of 12 June 2008 and Press Statement of 24 June 2008 and the support expressed by the Security Council to the efforts of the African Union, as well as the steps that it has taken to facilitate the early resolution of the crisis between Djibouti and Eritrea; Council CALLS ON the Security Council to continue supporting the efforts of the African Union;

9. REITERATES ITS FULL SUPPORT to the initiatives deployed by the Chairperson of the Commission and REQUESTS him to pursue these efforts, including the planned dispatch of a fact finding mission to Eritrea, as soon as the Eritrean authorities accept to receive the said mission;

10. DECIDES TO REQUEST the Chairperson of the Council, to consider ways and means to assist in the implementation of this decision;

11. DECIDES to remain seized of the matter.

PRESS STATEMENT

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 121^st and 125^th meetings held respectively on 24 April and 2^nd May 2008, exchanged views on the relations between the Republic of Djibouti and the State of Eritrea, following the letter sent to Council on 24 April 2008 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Djibouti regarding the situation at the border between the two countries.

Council noted that, on 1st May 2008, the Commission formally wrote to the two countries to gather as much information as possible on the situation obtaining at their common border and the steps they may have taken to resolve this situation amicably.

Council urged both countries to show maximum restraint and to resolve whatever dispute they may have through dialogue and on the basis of the principles enshrined in the AU Constitutive Act and other relevant AU instruments, including the respect of borders existing on achievement of independence and the promotion of good neighborliness.

Council encouraged the Commission to remain in close contact with the two countries and to monitor the evolution of the situation, with the view to taking any action that would be deemed appropriate, including dispatching, in due course, a mission to assess the situation on the ground and to consult with the relevant authorities of the two countries.