PSC/PR/COMM.(DCCXLI) Page 1 COMMUNIQUE The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 741 st meeting held on 19 December 2017, received a briefing on the situation in Somalia and the implementation of the mandate of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and adopted the following decision: Council, 1. Takes note of the briefings by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission for Somalia and Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, the AMISOM Force Commander, Lieutenant General Osman Noor Soubagleh, and the Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General for Somalia, Mr. Michael Keating. Council also takes note of the statements made by the representatives of Egypt, in its capacity as an African Member of the UN Security Council (A3); Ethiopia, in its capacity as, both Chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and a member of the A3; IGAD; and the European Union (EU); 2. Recalls its previous decisions on the situation in Somalia and AMISOM, including Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(DCC) adopted at its 700 th meeting held on 12 July 2017; Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(DCLXXXIV) adopted at its 684th meeting held on 28 April 2017; Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(DCXLIX) adopted at its 649th meeting held on 16 January 2017; Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM (DCXXII) adopted at its 622nd meeting held on 6 September 2016; Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM (DCVIII) adopted at its 608th meeting held on 29 June 2016; and Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.2(DXCV) adopted at its 595th meeting held on 28 April 2016; 3. Also recalls UNSC Resolution 2372 (2017), particularly paragraph 9, in which the Security Council requests the AU to keep the UNSC regularly informed on the implementation of AMISOM’s mandate; 4. Takes note of the progress made in the political process in Somalia, in particular with regard to State formation process, the constitutional review, as well as the electoral system towards 2020 elections. In the same context, Council welcomes the signing of an important reconciliation agreement between the President of Galmudug and the Head of AL Suna Wal Jammah, and congratulates President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo for the convening of the nine-day high-level consultative meeting with the top political leadership of the country. Council commends the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) for its continued efforts in the search for a lasting solution to the protracted political and security challenges facing Somalia and reiterates its commitment to continue supporting the Federal Government of Somalia in achieving its security and political goals; 5. Notes with deep concern the growing capacity of al-Shabaab and its continued attacks against the innocent population, the symbols of the Federal Government and AMISOM