PSC/AHG/COMM.1(DLXXI) Page 1 COMMUNIQUÉ The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 571st meeting held on 29 January 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the level of Heads of State and Government, having reviewed the AU efforts against terrorism, adopted the following decision on the prevention and combating of terrorism in Africa: Council, 1. Takes note of the update provided by the AU Commission in pursuance of communiqué PSC/AHG/COMM.(CDLV) on terrorism and violent extremism in Africa, adopted by Council at its 455th meeting held on 2 September 2014, at the Level of heads of State and Government in Nairobi, Kenya. Council further takes note of the statements made by Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Gambia, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Nigeria and South Africa; 2. Recalls its previous communiqués and press statements on the issue of terrorism and violent extremism in Africa, and re-emphasizes the critical importance of the provisions of communiqué PSC/AHG/COMM.(CDLV) of its 455th meeting. Council also recalls communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(DXLIII) and press statement PSC/P R/BR.2(DLX) adopted at its 543rd and 560th meetings held on 11 September 2015 and 26 November 2015, respectively, which articulated a comprehensive framework for the implementation of the AU and international counter-terrorism instruments in Africa; 3. Emphasizes the need for renewed efforts to combat extremism and radicalizing religious interpretations that foster intolerance and violence. Council notes that these interpretations which are promoted by foreign preachers and other actors, are a threat to Africa’s security and stability and should be strongly fought against; 4. Reaffirms the continued relevance of the instruments adopted by the OAU/AU over the past years to address the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, notably the Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, adopted by the 35 th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU, held in Algiers, Algeria, from 12 to 14 July 1999, and the Supplementary Protocol adopted by the 3 rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in Addis Ababa, from 6 to 8 July 2004, as well as the 2002 AU Plan of Action, adopted by the 1 st AU High- Level Inter-Governmental Meeting on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, held in Algiers, from 11 to 14 September 2002, and the AU Model Law on anti-terrorism, endorsed by the 17th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in Malabo, from 30 June to 1 July 2011; 5. Expresses deep concern at the escalating trends of terrorism in Africa, particularly in Northern Africa, the Sahelo-Saharan region, Central and Eastern Africa, and also globally, marked by terrorist attacks spreading geographically and with ever changing tactics, targets, actors, recruitment methods and funding, perpetrated by Al-Qaida and its affiliates, including Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Shabaab, Al-Mourabitoun and Ansar Dine, and by the so-called Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates, including Boko Haram and Majlis Shura Shabab al-Islam;