PSC/PR/COMM.(CDLXXXVIII)
Page 1
COMMUNIQUÉ
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 488th meeting held on
23 February 2015, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Great Lakes Region:
Council,
1.
Takes note of the briefing provided by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of
the Commission for the Great Lakes Region, as well as of the statement made by the
representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Council also takes note of the
statements made by the representatives of the Secretariat of the International Conference on
the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), South Africa and Zimbabwe, as Chair of the Organ on Politics,
Defense and Security Cooperation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
and Chair of SADC, respectively, the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), as well
as by those of France, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, in their
capacity as members of the UN Security Council;
2.
Reiterates the AU’s commitment to the respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity
and unity of the DRC and of all the other countries of the Great Lakes Region;
3.
Recalls its previous communiqués and press statements on the situation in eastern DRC
and on the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the
DRC and the Region, in particular press statement PSC/PR/BR/1.(CDXLII) and communiqué
PSC/PR/COMM.(CDLII) adopted at its 442nd and 452nd meetings, held on 17 June and 22 August
2014, respectively;
4.
Stresses the crucial importance of the scrupulous and timely implementation of the PSC
Framework for the promotion of lasting peace, security and stability in the Great Lakes Region,
and urges all the signatory countries to honor their commitments under the Framework.
Council notes with satisfaction the conclusions of the 9th meeting of the Technical Support
Committee (TSC), held in Nairobi, on 9 and 10 January 2015, as well as the communiqué issued
following the 5th meeting of the PSC Framework Regional Oversight Mechanism, held in Addis
Ababa, on 31 January 2015, including the encouragement of efforts to promote confidence
among the States of the Region, especially those deployed by President Eduardo dos Santos of
Angola, in his capacity as current Chairman of the ICGLR ;
5.
Further stresses the important role of the Guarantors of the PSC Framework, namely
the AU, the UN, the ICGLR and SADC, in support of the implementation process of the
Framework, welcomes the convening, in Addis Ababa, on 1 December 2014, of the 1st meeting
of the Guarantors and encourages them to convene, whenever necessary, such meetings.
Council also welcomes the close coordination existing among the international Special Envoys
for the Great Lakes Region, including the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU
Commission, and encourages them to continue and intensify their collective efforts in support
of the implementation of the PSC Framework;