Communiqué of the 1097th meeting of the PSC held on 4 August 2022, on Updated Briefing on the Situation in the Horn of Africa

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1097th meeting held on 4 August 2022, on Updated Briefing on the Situation in the Horn of Africa.

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling its previous decisions, in particular, Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.1045 (2021)] of the Council’s 1045th meeting held on 8 November 2021 on the situation in Ethiopia;

Taking note of the opening statement by H.E. Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, Permanent Representative of the Republic of The Gambia to the AU as the PSC Chairperson for the month of August 2022 and the statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; the Comprehensive updated briefing by H.E. President Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, as well as the statement by the Acting Permanent Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the AU, H.E. Ambassador Nardos Ayalew Belay;

Committed to silencing the guns in Africa by the year 2030, to create the required conditions for the realization of Agenda 2063, pursuant to paragraph 10 of the Assembly Decision [Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1(XIV)], adopted by the 14th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union on Silencing the Guns in Africa, on 6 December 2020;

Reaffirming its commitment to respect the sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in line with the African Union Constitutive Act; and

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

Takes note of the comprehensive updated briefing by the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, H.E. President Olusegun Obasanjo; commends him for his sacrifices and commitment, as well as for the progress registered thus far, and reaffirms the commitment of the PSC to continue to support his efforts until lasting peace, security and stability is restored in Ethiopia;

Commends the AU High Representative for the direct engagements between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF); and requests the AU Commission to mobilize all required resources to further enhance the peace-making efforts of the High Representative;

Reiterates that there can be no viable military solution to the current situation in the Tigray Region and, in this regard, encourages the Federal Government of Ethiopia and TPLF to place the supreme interests of Ethiopia and its people above all else and embrace inclusive political dialogue as the only viable approach towards finding a consensual solution to the current situation;

Welcomes and commends the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the TPLF for the confidence building measures they have so far undertaken, including the commitment to guarantee humanitarian access to the affected populations, the unilateral declaration of a humanitarian ceasefire, the national dialogue and reconciliation process, the withdrawal of troops from Afar, as well as other related measures being taken by the two sides;

Further commends the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the TPLF for their explicit consent to commit to a negotiated political solution through an all-inclusive genuine dialogue and welcomes the formation by the Federal Government of Ethiopia of its negotiating team as a step in the right direction towards the restoration of lasting peace and security in Ethiopia; and urges the TPLF to take similar steps;

While underlining the centrality of African solutions to African problems anchored on an AU-led mediation process, expresses profound appreciation to all partners for their continued support and encourages them to scale up their support for the AU-led mediation process, under the leadership of the High Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, as the only viable and effective approach towards finding a negotiated lasting solution to the situation in Ethiopia. In addition, urges all Member States to intensify their support to the efforts of the High Representative in the quest for peace and stability in Ethiopia in particular and the Horn of Africa as a whole; and

Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Source: African Union