PSC/PR/BR(CLXVII) Page 1 PRESS STATEMENT OF THE 167TH MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL (PSC) The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 167th meeting, held on 21 January 2009, was briefed by the Commission and the Representatives of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and Ethiopia, in its capacity as the current Chair of IGAD, as well as by the representatives of the IGAD Secretariat and the United Nations, on recent developments in the situation in Somalia. Council commended the initiatives taken by the Commission to implement its decisions contained in the Communiqué of its 163rd meeting held on 22 December 2008, including the convening of the meetings on Somalia held in Addis Ababa on 10 January 2009 and 17 January 2009, in support of the peace and reconciliation efforts in Somalia and towards the strengthening of AMISOM, with the participation of the Somali parties to the peace process, the troop contributing countries, IGAD and international partners. Council further commended the joint efforts deployed by the African Union and the United Nations towards the implementation of the Agreements between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) of 26 October 2008 on the Cessation of Hostilities and the Djibouti Agreement of 19 August 2008. Council encouraged the Somali parties to continue to demonstrate the political will required for ensuring the success of the reconciliation process in the country. In this respect, Council expressed its appreciation and called on the parties to take all the necessary steps towards the expansion of the Transitional Federal Parliament and the election of the President scheduled to take place in Djibouti before end of January 2009. Council also called on the Member States and the international community as a whole to continue to extend their support to the peace and reconciliation process in Somalia. Council took note with satisfaction the measures taken for the deployment of TFG and ARS forces in the areas from which the Ethiopian National Defence Force has withdrawn in pursuance of the security provisions of the Djibouti Agreements, and encouraged the Commission to urgently assist in providing them with logistical support. Council further welcomed the adoption, on 16 January 2009, by the UN Security Council of resolution 1863 (2009), which provides for the UN to extend the necessary support package to AMISOM, pending a decision as of 1 June 2009 relating to the takeover of AMISOM by the UN, and called upon the Commission to actively engage the United Nations to speed up the implementation of the Resolution. Council expressed concern at the acute humanitarian situation in Somalia and called on the international community to urgently provide assistance to the affected populations. Addis Ababa, 21 January 2009