Communiqué of the Ninetieth Ordinary Session of the Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution at Ambassadorial Level, 17 March 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Central Organ/MEC/AMB/Comm. (XC)
Central Organ/MEC/AMB/Comm. (XC)
The Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution held its 90th Ordinary Session at Ambassadorial level in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday 17 March 2003, to review the situation in the Central African Republic, following the coup d’Etat of 15 March 2003. The session took place under the chairmanship of Ambassador Baso Sangqu, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the African Union.
The meeting was briefed by a Representative of the Commission on the recent developments in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Following its deliberations,
The Central Organ:
1. Strongly condemns the coup d’Etat, which took place in Bangui, Central African Republic, on Saturday, 15 March 2003. In this regard, it RECALLS the total rejection and condemnation by the African Union of all unconstitutional changes of government, in conformity with the Decisions and Declarations adopted by the Algiers and Lomé Summits of July 1999 and 2000 respectively and the relevant provisions of the Constitutive Act of the African Union;
2. COMMENDS the Chairperson of the African Union, the Interim Chairperson of the Commission, as well as the Chairmen of CEMAC and CENSAD for their prompt reaction to and condemnation of the unconstitutional change of government in the CAR;
3. CONSIDERS that the coup d’Etat, which took place at a time when the process of commencing a national dialogue was underway, seriously undermines the efforts deployed by the leaders of CEMAC and CENSAD, with the support of the African Union and the United Nations, to find a lasting solution of the crisis in the CAR. The Central Organ CALLS upon the perpetrators of the coup in that country to take immediate steps to reinstate the democratically elected government of the country;
4. RECOMMENDS in the interim and in conformity with the letter and spirit of the Lome Declaration, the suspension of CAR from participating in the activities of the Policy Organs of the AU, until such a time that constitutional rule is restored in the country;
5. APPEALS to all Member States, AU partners, and the wider international community, to strongly support the efforts of the countries of the region and the African Union to restore constitutional order in the CAR;
6. URGES that the safety of the regional force deployed by the CEMAC in the CAR be guaranteed. The Central Organ APPEALS to the international community to support the regional efforts led by President El Hadj Omar Bongo of the Gabonese Republic and the efforts of CENSAD, to restore peace and security in the Central African Republic, including inter-alia, through the commencement of the envisaged National dialogue in the country;
7. CALLS upon the regime in the CAR to ensure the safety of the civilian population in the country and WARNS that they will be individually and collectively held accountable for any violations of the human rights of the civilian population in the country;
8. REQUESTS the Interim Chairperson of the Commission to urgently establish contacts with all the parties in the Central African Republic, with a view to reviewing the modalities for a speedy return to constitutional order. In this regard, the Central Organ URGES him to immediately dispatch his Special Envoy to the CAR, Mr. Sadok Fayala, to the region to consult with the Leaders of the Region with a view to reviewing the situation and ways and means of bringing about a rapid and early resolution of the crisis;
9. FURTHER REQUESTS the Chairperson of the AU and the Interim Chairperson of the Commission to be actively seized with the situation in the CAR.