PSC/PR/COMM (LXXVIII)
Page 1
COMMUNIQUE OF THE 78TH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
ON THE SITUATION IN THE COMOROS
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union, at its 78th meeting held on
an emergency basis on 9 June 2007, adopted the following decision on the situation in
the Comoros:
Council:
1.
TAKES NOTE of the Decree of the President of the Union of the Comoros
postponing to 17 June 2007 the election of the President of the Autonomous Island of
Anjouan, which was scheduled to be held on 10 June 2007, and ENDORSES the
assessment of the Comorian authorities that the prevailing conditions in Anjouan,
notably security conditions, are not conducive for the holding of free, fair and
transparent elections;
2.
URGES all the parties concerned to exercise restraint and to extend the
necessary cooperation to the African Union and to its Mission on the ground, the African
Union Electoral and Security Assistance Mission to the Comoros (MAES), in order to
create conditions conducive to the holding, on 17 June 2007, of free, fair and
transparent elections in the Autonomous Island of Anjouan. In this respect, Council
WARNS against any attempt by the Anjouanese authorities to organize the election this
Sunday 10 June 2007, in violation of the Presidential Decree, and STRESSES that the
African Union and the international community at large will not recognize the result of
such an election;
3.
REQUESTS, in the meantime, MAES to continue to provide the requisite
assistance and support to facilitate the holding, on Sunday 10 June 2007, of the election
of the Presidents of the Autonomous Islands of Grande Comore and Moheli;
4.
EXPRESSES its appreciation to South Africa for its role as coordinator of the
regional efforts on the Comoros and for its contribution to MAES. Council ALSO
EXPRESSES its appreciation to Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania for having pledged
civilian and military personnel to MAES, whose deployment in the mission area has
already begun;
5.
REQUESTS the Commission, working with the troop and police contributing
countries, to take all the necessary steps to accelerate the deployment of MAES,
including that of the military component of the Mission;
6.
EXPRESSES its gratitude to the League of Arab States for the financial
assistance extended to facilitate the deployment of MAES and for its contribution in
support of the holding and the observation of the election of the Presidents of the