PSC/PR/Comm.(XIII) Page 1 COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE THIRTEENTH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its thirteenth meeting, held on 27 July 2004, adopted the following communiqué on the crisis in the Darfur region of the Sudan: Council, 1. Reiterates its deep concern over the grave situation that still prevails in the Darfur region of the Sudan, in particular the continued attacks by the Janjaweed militia against the civilian population, as well as other human rights abuses and the humanitarian crisis; 2. Underlines the urgent need to implement decision AU/Dec.54(III) on Darfur, adopted by the 3rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, held in Addis Ababa, from 6 to 8 July 2004, and which provides a framework for addressing the crisis. In this respect, Council stresses the urgent need for the Government of the Sudan (GoS) to expeditiously implement its commitment to neutralize and disarm the Janjaweed militia and other armed groups and to bring to justice the perpetrators of human rights abuses. Council also reiterates the need for the rebel forces to be cantoned at mutually agreed sites; 3. Stresses the need for the AU to continue to lead the efforts to resolve the crisis in Darfur and, in this respect, welcomes the support extended by the international community, including the UN Security Council. Council calls on the latter and all the AU partners to continue to support these efforts, including financial and logistical assistance to sustain the AU-led mission deployed in Darfur and to enhance its effectiveness; 4. Calls upon all parties, namely the GoS, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), to scrupulously comply with the Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement of 8 April 2004 and to extend full cooperation to the Ceasefire Commission (CFC) and the military observers deployed in Darfur; 5. Welcomes the convening in Addis Ababa, on 15 July 2004, of a meeting between the parties and, in this respect, regrets that the JEM and the SLM/A leadership failed to attend the talks. Council stresses the need for a speedy resumption of the dialogue and calls on the parties to be represented at the highest level at the next round of the political talks, with a clear mandate, and to negotiate in good faith with the view to achieving a lasting solution to the Darfur conflict;