PSC/MIN/COMM.(DXXVI) Page 1 COMMUNIQUÉ The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 526th meeting held at ministerial level, on 24 July 2015, having officially received the Report of the AU Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS) and following an extensive exchange of views thereon, adopted the following decision: Council, 1. Takes note of the report of the AUCISS and of the Separate Opinion submitted by a member of the AUCISS, as well as of the introductory remarks made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security. Council further takes note of the statements made by the representatives of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as well as by the representatives of Tanzania, on the internal dialogue within the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and Rwanda, in its capacity as a member of the AU High-Level Ad hoc Committee on South Sudan, established pursuant to communiqué PSC/PR/COMM(CDLXXIV) adopted at its 474th meeting held on 5 December 2014; 2. Reiterates the AU’s deep concern at the situation prevailing in South Sudan, marked by continued fighting and attacks against civilian populations and other serious human rights abuses, as well as by a dire humanitarian crisis, including forced displacement, acute food insecurity, access restrictions and other impediments to humanitarian assistance. Council, once again, condemns in the strongest terms all the violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement of 23 January 2014 committed by the parties, as well as the attacks and other egregious acts of violence and abuses of human rights. Council also condemns the attacks against civilians and other acts of violence and harassment targeting the humanitarian agencies, including their personnel and assets; 3. Further reiterates Africa’s deep disappointment at the continued unwillingness and lack of political will of the leaders of the warring parties to make the compromises necessary to reach an agreement that would end the conflict in their country and the untold suffering they are deliberately inflicting on their own people. Council expresses shock and outrage at the level of violence and cruelty meted out by the South Sudanese protagonists on the civilian population and the disregard of the South Sudanese leaders to the suffering of their own people; 4. Demands that the armed belligerents immediately and fully respect the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and end, once for all, all acts of violence, and agrees, should this become necessary, to deploy an African force to bring the ongoing tragedy in South Sudan to a definite end; 5. Commends the Chairperson of IGAD and the other leaders of the region, for their sustained efforts in facilitating a negotiated political solution to the conflict in South Sudan, including through the establishment of the IGAD Plus mechanism, and reiterates the AU’s support to these efforts, including through the High Level Ad hoc Committee on South Sudan and the High Representative for South Sudan, former President Alpha Oumar Konaré of Mali. Council also reiterates the AU’s support to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), as well as to the IGAD Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (MVM), and demands once again that the