Communique of the 1152nd meeting on the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on the Report of the Panel of the Wise on its mission to the Republic of Chad, held on 11 May 2023

Please refer to the attached file.

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1152nd meeting held on 11 May 2023, on the Report of the Panel of the Wise on its mission to the Republic of Chad,

Recalling its previous decision and pronouncements on the situation in Chad, particularly Press Statement [PSC/PR/PS.1121 (2022)] adopted at its 1121st meeting held on 11 November 2022, and Communiqués [PSC/PR/COMM.1106 (2022)] adopted at its 1106th meeting held on 19 September 2022; [PSC/PR/COMM.1076 (2022)] adopted at its 1076th meeting held on 14 April 2022; and [PSC/BR/COMM.(CMXCVI)] adopted at its 996th meeting held on 14 May 2021;

Noting the opening remarks made by H.E. Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda to the AU and Chairperson of the PSC for May 2023, and the statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; further noting the briefing by H.E. Domitien Ndayizeye, Chairperson of the Panel of the Wise and former president of the Republic of Burundi, on the Panel’s mission to the Republic of Chad; as well as the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Chad, H.E. Ambassador Mahamad Ali Hassan;

Reaffirming the AU's continued commitment to accompany the political process in Chad towards a return to constitutional order, and further reaffirming the AU’s unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Chad; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Welcomes the Report by the Panel of the Wise on its Mission to Chad and its recommendations thereof; Applauds the Panel of the Wise, under the leadership of H.E. Domitien Ndayizeye, for their preventive diplomacy efforts on the Continent; and emphasizes the needfor the Panel of the Wise, in furtherance of its mandate, to prioritise Member States in political transition to accompany them towards full restoration of constitutional and democratic order;

2. Takes note of the extension of the transition period in Chad for 24 months; in this regard, rejects any further extension of the transition;

3. :Reiterates* its Communique [PSC/BR/COMM.(CMXCVI)] adopted on 14 May 2021 which called upon members of the Transition Authority not to take part in the planned elections;

4. Calls Upon the Transition Authorities to provide a clear roadmap with specific timelines for the second phase of the transition process in Chad;

5. Commends the commitment of the Transition Authorities to a civilian government and calls on them to ensure an inclusive, comprehensive and transparent political transition process, with the participation of women and youth in order to build a unified and stable community;

6. Calls on the Transition Authorities to implement the conclusion of the Inclusive and Sovereign National Dialogue within the specified timeline and to facilitate the participation of all Chadian stakeholders in national political and peace processes to ensure inclusiveness in the political transition, especially in the process of drafting a new constitution and deciding on the form of state;

7. Requests the AU Commission to accompany the political transition in Chad through the AU-led Support Mechanism and also requests the AU Commission to continue engaging the Transition Government for a swift return to constitutional order, including providing technical support in the drafting of the new constitution, and towards the preparation and organization of free, fair and peaceful presidential and legislative elections;

8. Emphasizes the need for continued dialogue and mediation processes in Chad, particularly amongst all the political parties and politico-military groups with a view to amicably resolving their differences; in this regard, calls on all the stakeholders in Chad to put the supreme interest of Chad above all individual considerations; and underscores the critical leadership of the AU in mediating the differences and ensuring a swift return to constitutional order;

9. Stresses the need for the Transition Authority in Chad to respect the human rights of the Chadians and ensure that all perpetrators of human rights violations are brought to justice;

10. Calls upon the Transition Authorities in Chad to speed up the official investigation into the assassination of former President Idriss Deby Ito in order to bring the perpetrators of this high crime to justice without any further delay;

11. Takes note of the decisions adopted at the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) within the Framework of the Central African Peace and Security Council and dedicated to the Transition Process in the Republic of Chad, held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on 25 October 2022, and the outcomes of the 15th Conference of Heads of State of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 17 March 2023;

12. Reiterates its rejection, once again, of any form of unconstitutional changes of government, including manipulation of the constitution of Member States of the African Union, consistent with Article 4 (p) of the AU Constitutive Act and Article 7 (g) of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and other relevant AU normative instruments;

13. Expresses concern over the dire humanitarian challenges in the country, being exacerbated by the influx of refugees fleeing war from neighbouring Sudan and the adverse impact of climate change and natural disasters; calls on Member States and the international community to redouble their efforts in providing humanitarian support to the affected populations;

14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.