PSC/PR/Comm(LXXXVI) Page 1 COMMUNIQUE The Peace and Security Council of the African Union, at its 86th Meeting held on 10 August 2007, adopted the following Communiqué on the status of implementation of the 7 September 2006 Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and Palipehutu-FNL: Council, 1. Recalls communiqué PSC/PR/Comm(LXXXI) of its 81st meeting held on 20 July 2007, on the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement of 7 September 2006 between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Palipehutu-FNL of Agathon Rwasa; 2. Expresses serious concern with the deterioration of the political situation in Burundi resulting from the differences which emerged recently between the Government and the opposition parties; 3. Deplores the withdrawal of Palipehutu-FNL from the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) for the implementation of the 7 September 2006 Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of Burundi and Palipehutu-FNL. Council urges the Palipehutu-FNL to immediately resume its participation in the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism and to engage on the path of dialogue in the spirit of the Dar es Salaam meeting held on 17 June 2007, between President Pierre Nkurunziza and the leader of Palipehutu-FNL, Agathon Rwasa; 4. Encourages the Facilitation to, once again, undertake the necessary contacts to reenergize and speed up the process of implementing the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement; 5. Expresses its gratitude to South Africa for its generous contribution to the African Union Special Task Force in Burundi; 6. Reiterates its call upon the parties to honor their obligations and commitments with a view to accelerating the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement which should be concluded at the latest by December 2007; 7. Invites the Government, political opposition and all other stakeholders, to follow the path of dialogue to resolve the differences bearing in mind the interest of Burundi and the need to safeguard the institutions before everything else and expresses its support and encouragement to all those who deploy efforts on the ground, including representatives from the civil society and the international community, to promote a solution to the situation; 8. Commends the Regional Initiative and the Facilitation for the efforts they have deployed to assist the people of Burundi in regaining peace. Council appeals to the Regional Initiative to urgently examine the situation in Burundi with a view to addressing