COMMUNIQUÉ The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 647th meeting held on 13 January 2017, adopted the following decision on the post-election situation in The Islamic Republic of The Gambia: Council: 1. Takes note of the briefing made by the Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, as well as the presentation made by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, on the latest developments in the post-electoral situation in The Gambia, following the presidential election held in that country on 1 December 2016. Council also takes note of the statements made by the representatives of The Gambia, as well as of Liberia, in its capacity as Chair of the Authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Egypt, Ethiopia and Senegal, as African Members of the UN Security Council, and the United Nations (UN); 2. Recalls Article 23 (4) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Council further recalls communiqué PSC/PR/COMM. (DCXLIV) adopted at its 644th meeting held on 12 December 2016, in which Council strongly rejected any attempt to circumvent or reverse the outcome of the presidential election held in The Gambia on 1 December 2016, which is a clear expression of the popular will and choice of the Gambian people, and called upon outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to keep to the letter and spirit of the speech he delivered on 2 December 2016, in which he welcomed the maturity of democracy in The Gambia and congratulated the president-elect, Adama Barrow; 3. Commends ECOWAS for its principled stand with regard to the situation in The Gambia, and reaffirms its full support to the decisions adopted by the 50th Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority held in Abuja, on 17 December 2016, including the consideration to use all necessary means to ensure the respect of the will of the people of The Gambia. In this respect, Council pays tribute to the leadership and commitment demonstrated by Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, of Liberia, Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority, as well as to His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, ECOWAS Mediator, and to Former President John Dramani Mahama, of Ghana, co-Mediator, for their continued efforts aimed at ensuring a peaceful and smooth transfer of power in The Gambia; 4. Calls upon, once again, the outgoing President, Yahya Jammeh, to respect the Constitution of the Gambia, the ECOWAS and AU instruments, in particular the AU Constitutive Act and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, by handing over power, on 19 January 2017, as stated in the Constitution, to the newly-elected President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, as decided by the people of the country;