PSC/MIN/Comm.3(CLXIII) Page 1 COMMUNIQUE OF THE 163RD MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 163rd meeting, held at the ministerial level in Addis Ababa, on 22 December 2008, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania following the 6 August 2008 coup d’Etat in that country: Council, 1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania [PSC/MIN/COMM.3(CLXIII)] and the outcome of the consultations with the various Mauritanian parties, as well as those of consultative and coordination meetings held at the initiative of the Commission between the AU, the League of Arab States, the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the United Nations, and the European Union (EU) in Addis Ababa, on 10 and 21 November 2008. Council also takes note of the briefings by the representatives of the United Nations, EU, OIF, as well as the one by a representative of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi; 2. Further takes note of the results of the high level mission to Mauritania, led by the AU, on 6 and 7 December 2008, particularly the commitment of General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to release President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi without conditions, by 24 December 2008 at the latest; 3. Takes note of the release of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi and considers that this development partially responds to the demands of the international community but is not sufficient for a return to constitutional order; 4. Encourages the Chairperson of the Commission and the Commissioner for Peace and Security to continue to deploy efforts towards the return to constitutional legality in Mauritania; 5. Expresses its deep concern with the lack of political will and the obstinance to remain in power despite the efforts deployed to date with a view to facilitating the return to constitutional legality in Mauritania; 6. Recalls the relevant provisions of Communiqué PSC/MIN/Comm.2 (CLI) adopted at its 151st meeting held in New York, on 22 September 2008. In this regard, Council reiterates its firm condemnation of the coup d’Etat and all measures taken by its authors to consolidate the situation born out from this coup d’Etat and reiterates the legitimacy of the constitutional order represented by the democratically elected institutions from the legislative and presidential elections respectively held in November 2006 and March 2007 ;