Assembly/AU/2 (XI) Page 8 precarious state of security prevailing on the ground, which escalated with the 10 May 2008 attack by Ibrahim Khali’s Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) against the Sudanese capital. In addition to that is the tension at the Sudan-Chadian border and the increase in robberies and other attacks targeted against humanitarian agencies. Against this backdrop, the Assembly should urge the parties to demonstrate the necessary political will and do their utmost to improve the security situation. At the same time, it should mark its renewed support to the efforts of the AU and the United Nations aimed at reviving the political process and accelerating the deployment of MINUAD. 34. The persistence of the crisis in the Darfur region seriously affected the relations between the Sudan and Chad, the two countries accusing each other of subversive activities. Following sustained efforts, the two countries signed an Agreement in Dakar on 13 March 2008, according to the terms of which they “solemnly pledged to ban all activities of armed groups and prevent the use of their respective territories for the destabilization of any of their States”. Thereafter, the Contact Group established by the Agreement, which is jointly chaired by Libya and the Republic of Congo, met on several occasions: in Libreville, on 10 April 2008; in Tripoli, from 12 to 13 May 2008; and in Brazzaville, on 9 June 2008. In spite of these efforts, the situation remains tense and the relations between the two countries are still marked by mistrust. Consequently, the meeting of the Contact Group which took place in Tripoli was disrupted by the attack on Omdurman of 10 May 2008: indeed, accusing Chad of being involved in this attack, the Sudan broke off diplomatic relations with this country and refused to participate in the meeting. At the time of finalizing this report, and in the aftermath of the attack launched since mid June 2008 by Chadian rebel movements in Eastern Chad, this country once again accused the Sudan of violating the commitments made. Hence the need for sustained efforts to ensure strict implementation of the various agreements they signed and to help them overcome the difficulties that characterize their relations. 35. There have been encouraging developments in situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) since February 2008. Therefore, the political dialogue process continued. The Preparatory Committee for the Inclusive Political Dialogue (CPDPI) ended its deliberations on 31 March 2008, and submitted its final report to the President of the Republic on 25 April 2008. The members of the CPDPI recommended that the dialogue be held in Bangui. The AU, like the UN and the OIF, was proposed as international facilitator. The actual dialogue is being actively prepared. Also worth mentioning is the support provided by the countries of the region to the efforts aimed at stabilizing the situation in the CAR. While encouraging the Central African authorities and other stakeholders to persevere in their efforts, at the same time it is important to mobilize additional support to enable the CAR to effectively deal with the different problems it is facing, including at socio-economic level. 36. The positive effects resulting from the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and its Additional Protocols made it possible to maintain a calm political climate in Côte d’Ivoire. This new climate was strengthened by the effective collaboration between President Laurent Gbagbo and the Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, the involvement of all the political actors and the civil society, as well as the consensual approach adopted in the Government’s decision making process. There has been significant progress in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and its

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