PSC/PR/COMM.(DCCLIII) Page 2 COMMUNIQUÉ The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 753rd meeting, held on 15 February 2018, adopted the following decision on the political stabilization process in Somalia and on the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) activities and exit strategy: Council, 1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission, as well as the briefings made by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui, and the InterGovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special Envoy for Somalia, Dr Mohamed Ali Guyo. Council also takes note of the statements delivered by the Permanent Representatives of Somalia; Ethiopia, in its capacity as the Chair of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and African Member of the UN Security Council (A3); Cote d’Ivoire in its capacity as A3 member, and Djibouti in its capacity as a Troop Contributing Country, as well as by the representatives of the League of Arab States (LAS), the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU); 2. Recalls its previous decisions on the situation in Somalia and on AMISOM, in particular Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(DCCXLI) adopted at its 741th meeting held on 19 December 2017 and Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(DCC) adopted at its 700th meeting held on 12 July 2017; 3. Takes note of the progress made in the political process in Somalia, notably with regard to relations between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States, the constitutional review process and the development of an electoral system towards 2020 elections. In this regard, Council commends the FGS for the progress made , thanks to the political space and enabling environment created by AMISOM working in collaboration with the Somali Security Forces, the passing of key legislation, the adoption of the National Security Architecture, which provides the broad framework for the requisite building up of the Somalia National Security Forces (SNSF), as well as the recent agreement on a Roadmap on Inclusive Politics, which calls for a constitutional review process, a new electoral model for elections under universal suffrage by 2020, and reconciliation. In this context, Council encourages AU Member States to provide support, in particular technical assistance to the FGS, in support to the constitutional review process and the establishment of an electoral system; 4. Commends the FGS for its continued efforts to foster greater political unity and consensus with the Federal Member States to reach critical outcomes in the search for a lasting solution to the protracted political and security challenges facing Somalia. In this regard, Council emphasizes the importance of regular convening of the National Security Council meetings between the FGS and the FMS as a forum for dialogue, consensus building, and decision making on critical political and security issues;