Assembly/AU/2 (XI) Page 5 together the Commission of the African Union (AU), members of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC), the African Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, representatives of the G8++ member countries, the European Union (EU), the United Nations and other partners, was held in Addis Ababa on 13 June 2008. The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Obioma Philip Oparah, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, in his capacity as the Stand-in Chairperson of the PSC for the month of June 2008, and Mr. Kinichi Komano, Ambassador of Japan in Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, in his capacity as the representative of the Chair of the G8++. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress made in the past year in the establishment of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the implementation of the overall AU peace and security agenda and to address the challenges ahead. 22. Furthermore, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, also in its capacity as the Stand-in Chairperson of the PSC for June 2008, participated at the meetings of Coordinators and Senior Officials of the Africa-South America Cooperative Forum (ASACOF) held in Brasilia, Brazil on 9 June and on 10-11 June 2008, respectively. Among other things, the Senior Officials meeting agreed on the establishment of a technical working group on Peace and Security and Related Issues. The group is expected to prepare items for discussion by ASACOF policy organs on peace and security issues. VI. STATE OF PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA 23. The conflict situations in the Continent continued to be the focus of attention of the PSC during the period under consideration. As indicated above, since last January, the PSC has held many meetings focusing on crisis situations in the Continent. 24. Although significant progress has been made since the last Assembly session, as shown, inter alia, by the recent developments in the situation in Burundi, progress in the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire and the re-establishment of the authority of the Comorian State in Anjouan, other situations continue to be marked by a persistent deadlock. In addition, new tensions have emerged, which if care is not taken, could degenerate into open conflict. 25. There were particularly encouraging developments in the situation in the Comoros, with the success of operation “Democracy in the Comoros”, led on 25 March 2008 by the Comorian army, with the support of Tanzania, the Sudan, Senegal and Libya, which responded positively to the call by the Assembly of the Union at its session last January. At the time of finalizing this report, the Comorian Authorities, with the support of the AU and other members of the international community, were working on preparations for the second round of elections to designate the new President of the Island of Anjouan, which are scheduled to hold on 29 June 2008. Now that State authority has been re-established in Anjouan, the focus for the Comorian Government and the other actors concerned will be to work on two priority tasks: first, the reform of the institutional architecture of the Archipelago, which should be rationalized, and the improvement of governance; and secondly, the socio-economic recovery of the Archipelago and the war against poverty, whose prevalence, particularly in Anjouan, has provided an ideal breeding