PSC/PR/COMM.(DLXXXVIII) Page 1 COMMUNIQUÉ The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 588th meeting held on 6 April 2016, adopted the following decision on the situation in Western Sahara: Council, 1. Takes note of the briefing provided by the Commissioner for Peace and Security on the situation in Western Sahara, of the update provided by the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the Commission for Western Sahara, former President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique. Council also takes note of the statement made by the Minister for African Affairs of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR,) as well as by the representatives of Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, New Zealand, Spain, France, United Kingdom and United States of America, United Nations (UN), and European Union (EU); 2. Recalls its earlier decisions on the situation in Western Sahara, namely Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM/1.(CDXCVI) and Press Statement PSC/PR/COMM.2(DII) adopted at its 496th and 503rd meetings held on 27 March and 30 April 2015, respectively. Also recalls Communiqué PSC/AHG/COMM.4(DXLVII) adopted at the 547th meeting of the Council held on 26 September 2015, in New York, at the level of Heads of State and Government, in which it urged the UN Security Council to fully assume its responsibilities, and take all necessary measures to rapidly resolve the Western Sahara conflict and find an effective response to issues related to respect for human rights and the illegal exploitation of natural resources of the territory; 3. Further recalls decision Assembly/AU/Dec.598(XXVI), adopted by the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in Addis Ababa, from 30 to 31 January 2016, reiterating AU’s call for the early resolution of the four-decade long conflict in Western Sahara, in line with international legality, and appealing, once again, to UN Security Council to fully assume its responsibility in this respect with the view to achieving a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, in the context of arrangements consistent with the UN principles and purposes, as well as reiterating calls to the UN General Assembly regarding the determination of a date for the holding of the self-determination referendum for the people of Western Sahara and protection of the integrity of the Western Sahara as a non-self-governing Territory from any act, which may undermine it, including the preservation of its natural resources; 4. Notes with deep concern that, in spite of the sustained efforts made, including by the successive Personal Envoys of the UN Secretary-General, no progress has been made in the search for an effective solution to the conflict in Western Sahara, which has been in a stalemate for more than four decades; 5. Commends the efforts of UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in the search for a settlement to the conflict in Western Sahara and welcomes his visit undertaken to Western