PSC/PR/COMM(CXCVII) Page 1 COMMUNIQUE OF THE 197TH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 197th meeting held on 10 July 2009, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Republic of Guinea: Council: 1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in the Republic of Guinea [PSC/PR/2 (CXCVII)] and the briefings by the Commissioner for Peace and Security and the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the Commission for Guinea; 2. Recalls the conclusions of the meeting of the local representation of the International Contact Group on Guinea (ICG-G), held in Conakry on 18 and 19 June 2009, and the final communiqué of the 4th meeting of the ICG-G held on 27 June 2009 in Sirte, Libya; 3. Recalls also the relevant paragraph, regarding the situation in the Republic of Guinea, of the decision adopted on the Report of the Peace and Security Council of the AU on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa, by the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held in Sirte, Libya, from 1 to 3 July 2009; 4. Notes with appreciation the efforts of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on the situation in Guinea, at its 36th Ordinary Session held in Abuja, Nigeria, on 22nd June 2009, and particularly, its commitment to the implementation of the agreed timetable and the restoration of constitutional order in 2009, through inclusive, free and fair elections; 5. Expresses grave concern at the lack of significant progress in the transition towards the restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Guinea and the holding of legislative and presidential elections in 2009, as provided for under the chronogram, including: (i) the absence of a sustained, peaceful and productive political dialogue between the different actors in the transition, which constitutes an obstacle to the country's return to constitutional order no later than the end of 2009, (ii) the non-establishment of the National Transitional Council (CNT), which should have been put in place several months ago, (iii) the suspension of the electoral identification process and the lack of clarity as to its finalization,