Please refer to the attached file.
COMMUNIQUÉ
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1138th meeting held on 8 February 2023 on the briefing by the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) on the peace and security outlook on the Continent for the year 2023.
The Peace and Security Council, Recalling the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)/AU, in which the Heads of State and Government of the AU pledged their determination to achieve the goal of a conflict-free Continent, to make peace a reality for all of Africa’s citizens and not to bequeath the burden of conflicts to future generations; whilst reaffirming commitment to Agenda 2063 and its flagship programme of Silencing the Guns by 2030;
Faithful to the implementation of its previous decisions and pronouncements on the peace and security outlook on the continent focusing on early warning and related themes, particularly,
Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1073 (2022)] adopted at its 1073rd meeting held on 6 April 2022; and Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1014 (2021)] adopted at its 1014th meeting held on 26 July 2021;
Noting the opening remarks by H.E. Edward Xolisa Makaya, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the AU and PSC Chairperson for February 2023, and the statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; further noting the comprehensive briefing provided by H.E Ambassador Zainab Ali Kotoko, Executive Secretary of CISSA;
Reaffirming the solidarity of the AU with Member States affected by various threats to peace, security, and stability;
Further reaffirming commitment to revitalising the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) consistent with Article 12 of the Protocol relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union; and Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council,
1. Expresses grave concern over the persistence of myriad threats to peace, security, stability and socio-economic development in the Continent, including, amongst others, intra-state tensions, armed rebellion, secessionist agitations, terrorism and violent extremism, a surge of foreign terrorist fighters and mercenaries, transnational organised crime, illegal exploration and exploitation of natural resources, corruption, illicit financial flows, marginalisation and political and electoral-related disputes, as well as democratic governance deficits;
2. Notes with grave concern the expansion of the threat of terrorism and violent extremism across the Continent, terrorist financing, use of new and emerging technology to spread terror, radicalisation and recruitment, as well as the growing linkages of terrorism with transnational organised crimes; condemns in the strongest terms all manifestations of terrorism and violent extremism in all the regions of the Continent; and calls for all perpetrators of heinous crimes against humanity to face the full might of law;
3. Strongly deplores external influence in Member States adversely impacting on the peace, security and stability of affected Member States; and reiterates its call for the immediate withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries from Member States; Page 2 of 3 PSC/PR/COMM.1138 (2023)
4. Emphasises the primary responsibility of Member States to address the threats posed by terrorism, radicalisation and organised crimes; encourages Member States to ensure full authority and control over their respective territories; and underscores the need for a collective security approach amongst Member States and Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) to further strengthen responses through greater coordination, sharing of experiences, expertise and intelligence, as well as cross-border patrols and joint commissions;
5. Expresses deep concern about the resurgence of military coups d’états in the Continent and all other forms of unconstitutional changes of government; reiterates AU’s zero tolerance on unconstitutional change of government; and calls on member states to uphold constitutionalism and fully respect all AU shared values, normative instruments and legal instruments, particularly the AU Constitutive Act, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and the 2000 Lomé Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government, as well as the 2022 Accra Declaration and the 2022 Malabo Declaration on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa;
6. Stresses the importance of holistically and comprehensively addressing fundamental root causes and drivers of armed conflict, as well as factors sustaining them on the Continent, in order to pave the way for durable peace and the realisation of Agenda 2063; in this regard, underscores the need for Member States to redouble their efforts in creating conducive conditions for ending conflicts and silencing the guns on the Continent;
7. Encourages Member states and RECs/RMs to emulate the Djibouti and Nouakchott Processes and Accra Initiative in order to strengthen platforms for intelligence sharing and fusion, including using the newly established Inter-Regional Knowledge Exchange Platform (I-RECKE) on early warning and conflict prevention;
8. Reiterates its unwavering commitment to accompany all Member States in political transitions for them to attain long-lasting peace and entrench democratic governance and culture in accordance with the AU normative instruments; in this regard, encourages all Member States in political transitions to strictly adhere to the stipulated timelines to facilitate a timely return to constitutional order through the holding of elections and necessary institutional reforms;
9. Underlines the primacy of dialogue amongst all stakeholders without exception as the only viable path to achieving a democratic transition and realising sustainable peace, security, and stability; urges all Member States to honour their political and peace agreements and undertake inclusive processes with broad participation of all stakeholders reflecting the strata of society, including women and youth; and calls on all stakeholders to place the supreme interest of their country above all other considerations and commit to creating a conducive environment for nation-building and durable peace;
10. Commends CISSA for a comprehensive holistic horizon scanning of existing and emerging threats to peace and security on the Continent; and encourages CISSA to redouble its efforts in sensitising Member States and RECs/RMs on possible threats to the stability of their countries and regions to ensure that they deploy timely intelligence-led preventative measures;
11. Highlights the imperative of greater coordination, exchange of information and close collaboration between CISSA, African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), and African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) to maximise the expertise of these institutions and better inform preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention efforts; Page 3 of 3 PSC/PR/COMM.1138 (2023)
12. Requests the AU Commission to ensure, within available resources, that all relevant specialised Institutions, including the ACSRT, AFRIPOL and the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Centre in Cairo, are fully capacitated and resourced to function sustainably and for them to effectively discharge their mandate in their respective areas of expertise and intervention; and urges Member states to redouble their efforts in contributing towards fully resourcing AU Institutions for them to effectively discharge their individual mandates and contribute to realising a peaceful and prosperous Continent;
13. Underlines the need for CISSA to regularly brief the Council on peace and security outlook on the Continent to ensure timely and more effective interventions;
14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.