PSC/PR/COMM‐3(CCXXXVII) Page 1 COMMUNIQUE The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 237th meeting held on 21 July 2010, considered the situation in the Republic of Guinea, and adopted the following decision: Council: 1. Takes note of the briefing by the Commissioner for Peace and Security on the situation in the Republic of Guinea, as well as the presentation made by the representative of the Mediator in the Guinean crisis, President Blaise Compaore; 2. Welcomes the holding, on 27 June 2010, of the 1st round of the presidential election, which constitutes a significant step towards the restoration of constitutional order, and stresses the imperative of the early organization of the 2nd round; 3. Expresses its appreciation to the President and other actors of the Transition, as well as to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), for their sustained efforts and commitment to the early restoration of constitutional order, and encourages them to persevere in their determination, in order to complete the process; 4. Commends the Chairperson of the Commission for the timely visit he undertook to Conakry on 7 July 2010, to encourage the Guinean parties to speedily complete the process of restoration of constitutional order and consolidate the progress made. Council welcomes the convening in Conakry, on 23 July 2010, of a meeting of the International Contact Group on Guinea (ICG‐G), and expresses its full support to the efforts being deployed on the ground by the co‐Chairs of the Group, namely the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Victor Gbeho, and the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the Commission, Professor Ibrahima Fall, with the cooperation of Mr. Said Djinnit, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary‐General for West Africa. Council also expresses its appreciation to the Mediator for his continued efforts for a way out of the crisis ; 5. Warns against any attempt to undermine the progress made so far and the electoral process and, more generally, against any manoeuvre to unduly extend the Transition, and expresses its determination, should it become necessary, to impose sanctions against all those who would undermine the process of return to constitutional order; 6. Invites Member States and the international partners to continue to extend full support to the early completion of the Transition, as well as to the defense and security sector reform and to the socio‐economic recovery of the country; 7. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.