PSC/PR/COMM.(DCCLII) Page 1 COMMUNIQUÉ The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 752nd meeting, held on 13 February 2018, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Council, 1. Takes note of the briefing made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui and the statement made by Togo, in its capacity as the Chair of the Authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); 2. Recalls its previous communiques and press statements on the situation in GuineaBissau, in particular, Press Statement [PSC/PR/BR.(DCXXXIV)] adopted at its 734th meeting, held on 14 November 2017, urging the Guinea Bissau stakeholders to work resolutely for the effective implementation of the Conakry Agreement of 14 October 2016 and the Bissau Roadmap, with a view to ending the current crisis in their country, as well as calling the political leadership of Guinea Bissau, including the President of the Republic, to demonstrate utmost restraint, statesmanship and high spirit of responsibility and comply with the country’s constitution, with a view to identifying a quick way out of the current political deadlock; 3. Recalls the decision of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held from 28 to 29 January 2018, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which called on Bissau-Guinean stakeholders to abide by their commitments so as to resolve the crisis and ensure a successful and timely conduct of the upcoming 2018 legislative elections, and endorsed the decision adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS on the margins of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 27 January 2018 on the situation in Guinea-Bissau; 4. Further recalls Article 16 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the relevant provisions of the AU Constitutive Act and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; 5. Reiterates its deep concern over the continued political standoff in the country coupled with the persistent socio-economic difficulties that the current crisis has caused to the people of Guinea Bissau, as well as the paralysis affecting the Government institutions and the People’s National Assembly; 6. Commends the efforts deployed by ECOWAS to finding a lasting solution to the current crisis in Guinea Bissau and welcomes the Decision A/Dec.2.01/2018 Imposing Individual Sanctions Aimed at Restoring Democratic Governance and Ensuring Respect for the Rule of Law in Guinea Bissau issued by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on 4 February 2018, following the assessment mission of the High Level delegation to Guinea-Bissau, conducted from 31 January to 1 February 2018;