Communique: The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 303rd meeting held on 8 December 2011, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Republic of Madagascar Ref:PSC/PR/COMM.1 (CCCIII)

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PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 303^rd MEETING

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

8 DECEMBER 2011

PSC/PR/COMM.l (CCCIII)

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 303^rd MEETING OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 303^rd meeting held on 8 December 2011, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Republic of Madagascar:

Council,

1. Takes note of the report by Mr Marius Fransman, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ of the Troika of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Special Envoy of President Jacob Zuma on Madagascar, as well as the statements made by the representatives of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Indian Ocean Commission (COI), the European Union (EU), the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) and the United Nations;

2. Recalls its earlier decisions and communiques on the situation in Madagascar, as well as paragraph 5 of decision Assembly/AU/Dec.369(XVII) on the report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa, adopted by the 17^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from 30 June to 1 July 2011, commending SADC for its efforts to facilitate the return to constitutional order in Madagascar and calling on SADC and the AU to continue to work together to find a consensual and sustainable solution to the crisis;

3. Takes note with satisfaction of the significant progress made in the national reconciliation and exit crisis processes, in particular the signing, in Antananarivo, on 16 September 2011, of the "Roadmap for Ending the Crisis in Madagascar", followed, on 14 October 2011, by that of the Framework for Implementation of the Roadmap, as well as the appointment of a consensual Prime Minister, in the person of Mr. Jean Omer Beriziky, and the formation of a Government of National Union, the establishment of the Transition Congress and the High Council of the Transition;

4. Commends the Malagasy stakeholders for the high sense of responsibility and spirit of compromise they have demonstrated that made the above-mentioned achievements possible, and requests them to scrupulously implement the commitments made, including the establishment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in a spirit of consensus and inclusiveness, and the preparation and organisation of free, transparent and credible elections that would crown the Transition;

5. Further commends SADC for its tireless efforts to facilitate the return to constitutional order in Madagascar, on the basis of the Roadmap, and reiterates its appreciation to the SADC Mediator, former President of the Republic of Mozambique

Joaquim Chissano, and his team, as well as the Special Envoy of President Zuma to Madagascar;

6. Notes that, although it played a positive role in the initial implementation stage of the Roadmap, to which it is a signatory, notably with respect to the appointment of the consensus Prime Minister, the Zafy Mouvance has decided not to join the transition institutions. Accordingly, Council urges the Zafy Mouvance to join the High Council of the Transition and the Transition Congress and to submit the names of its candidates. Council further notes the decision of the Ratsiraka Mouvance not to sign the Roadmap, and strongly calls on this Mouvance to join the Transition. Council urges both the Zafy and Ratsiraka Mouvances to place the national and permanent interests of Madagascar above any other considerations and to (re) join the implementation process of the Roadmap to ensure an as inclusive transition as possible in Madagascar. In this respect, Council welcomes the recent return of former President Didier Ratsiraka to Madagascar;

7. Expresses its intention to lift the measure on the suspension of the participation of Madagascar in the activities of the AU, as contained in communique PSC/PR/COMM.(CLXXXI) adopted at its 181^st meeting held on 20 March 2009, as well as the sanctions imposed in pursuance of communiques PSC/PR/COMM.l(CCXVI) and PSC/PR/COMM.l(CCXXI), adopted at its 216^th and 221^st meetings held on 19 February and 17 March 2010, respectively, and to, accordingly, invite the Government of National Union to represent Madagascar in the different AU organs and activities, upon submission by SADC of a report confirming satisfactory progress in the implementation process of the Roadmap, in particular its article 20, as well as the establishment of INEC and the determination of the electoral calendar;

8. Encourages SADC to pursue its efforts and to continue to accompany the Malagasy parties. Council further encourages the Chairperson of the Commission to fully mobilise Africa and the international community at large for them to provide the necessary support to the transition process in Madagascar, including by speedily dispatching a mission to assess Madagascar's needs;

9. Requests the Commission and SADC Secretariat to expedite the process of establishing a joint Liaison Office in Antananarivo that will ensure effective monitoring of the situation and provide daily support to the efforts of the Malagasy parties, in close coordination and collaboration with the AU partners, particularly the COI, the EU, the OIF and the United Nations;

10. Appeals to the international community to provide all the necessary support to the Malagasy Transition Institutions and to the implementation process of the Roadmap, including technical and financial assistance for the electoral process, to facilitate the holding of free, transparent and credible elections. Council also appeals to the bilateral and multilateral partners of Madagascar to urgently provide adequate assistance to the Malagasy population, particularly with respect to social services, and to envisage the resumption of their cooperation with this country on the basis of progress made in the

implementation of the Roadmap and the return to constitutional order, as well as in the promotion and protection of human rights;

11. Requests the Chairperson of the Commission and the SADC Mediation to submit to it regular reports on the evolution of the situation in Madagascar and the implementation the Roadmap, to enable it to take any decision that may be required;

12. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

HAPPEN