PSC/PR/COMM. (DCCXXXIII) 2 COMMUNIQUE The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 733rd meeting held on 13 November 2017, considered the prospects for cooperation between the AU and ad hoc sub-regional peace arrangements, with particular focus on the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against the Boko Haram and the Joint Force of the Group G5-Sahel, and adopted the following decision: Council, 1. Takes note of the opening statement made by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Chad, Ambassador Chérif Mahamat Zene, in his capacity as Chair of the PSC for the month of November 2017. Council also takes note of the briefings made by the Acting Director for Peace and Security, Mr. Sivuyile Bam, and by the Senior Political Advisor to the Executive Secretary and Head of Mission of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), Ambassador Mamman Nuhu. Council further takes note of the statements made by the representatives of Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria, in their capacity as countries of the LCBC and MNJTF, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, as members of the G5 Sahel, as well as by the representatives of Egypt, in its capacity as African member of the United Nations Security Council, France, the United States of America, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN); 2. Recalls the relevant provisions of the AU Constitutive Act, the Protocol relating to the establishment of the Peace and Security Council, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the area of Peace and Security between the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Regional Mechanisms (RMs) for Prevention, Management and Resolution of Conflicts signed in 2008. Council further recalls its earlier decisions and pronouncements on the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group and efforts aimed at neutralizing it, in particular Press Statements [PSC/PR/BR. (DCCII)] and [PSC/PR/BR. (DCLXXX) adopted at its 702nd and 680th meeting held on 19 July 2017 and 18 April 2017, respectively, Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM. (DCCXXI)] on the Report of the PSC field Mission to the countries of the LCBC conducted from 27 to 31 July 2017, Communiqué [PSC/PR/2. (DCXXXIX)] adopted at its 639th meeting held on 29 November 2016 and Communiqué [PSC/AHG/COMM. 2(CDLXXXIV)] adopted at its 484th meeting held on 29 January 2015, at the level of Heads of State and Government, by which Council authorized the deployment of the MNJTF. Council also recalls Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM. (DCLXXIX)] adopted at its 679th meeting, held on 13 April 2017, by which Council endorsed the Strategic Concept of Operations (CONOPS) of the Joint Force of the G-5 Sahel; 3. Welcomes the significant progress made by the MNJTF and the Member States of LCBC plus Benin in the fight against Boko Haram terrorist group, which has considerably weakened the capability of the group and continued to successfully dislodge it from its strongholds. In this