Communiqué of the 362th Meeting of the Peace and Security Council on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR)

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PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

362^nd MEETING

23 MARCH 2013

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

PSC/PR/COMM.(CCCLXII)

COMMUNIQUE

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 362^nd meeting, held in Addis Ababa, on 23 March 2013, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR):

Council,

1. Expresses deep concern at the rapidly deteriorating situation in the CAR, following the decision of the Seleka rebel group to break the Cease-fire Agreement concluded in Libreville on 11 January 2013 and to return to armed rebellion and at its far-reaching consequences for security and stability in the CAR and the region, as well as at the resulting humanitarian consequences;

2. Reiterates AU's total rejection of the recourse to armed rebellion to further political claims and of any seizure of power by force, in violation of the Constitutive Act, the African Charter on Democracy, Governance and Elections and the Lome Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government. Council further recalls its earlier communiques on the situation in the CAR;

3. Welcomes the press release issued by the Chairperson of the Commission on 22 March 2013, and strongly condemns the resumption by the Seleka group of its armed rebellion, in total violation of the Libreville Agreements concluded under the auspices of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), with the support of the AU and the rest of the international community. Council also welcomes the press statement on the situation in the CAR issued by the United Nations Security Council on 22 March 2013. Council demands that the Seleka group put an immediate halt to its attacks, and calls on all concerned to fully comply with their obligations under the Libreville Agreements and settle their differences through dialogue;

4. Stresses the obligation of all concerned CAR actors to fully comply with international humanitarian law and human rights, and to refrain from any acts of violence against civilians, and emphasizes its determination to hold accountable all violators of human rights and humanitarian law in CAR;

5. Appreciates the efforts of ECCAS and its leaders to address the situation in the CAR, and encourages them to pursue and intensify these efforts aimed at ending the current fighting and ensuring the effective implementation of the Libreville Agreements. Council urges all AU Member States in a position to do so to extend, within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the Common African Defence and Security Policy (CADSP), all the necessary support to ECCAS and the CAR Government to preserve peace, ensure safety of lives and protect civilians, and ensure respect for constitutional legality and the CAR institutions;

6. Decides to impose travel ban and asset freeze against those CAR political and military actors involved in acts to undermine the Libreville Agreements and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, and to seek the support of the United Nations Security Council and other partners. In this respect, Council requests the Commission to submit to it, within two weeks, the list of individuals to be affected by these sanctions;

7. Urges AU's partners, including the Security Council, the European Union and bilateral partners, to consider taking stiff measures against those CAR political and military actors involved in acts to undermine the Libreville Agreements and in violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, taking into account paragraph 6 above;

8. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.