Communiqué of the 571st meeting of the PSC, at the level of Heads of State and Government on the situation in Burundi Ref:PSC/AHG/COMM.3(DLXXI)

AFRICAN UNION

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243 Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822 Fax : (251-11) 5519 321

E-mail: situationroom@africa-union.org

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 571^st MEETING AT THE LEVEL OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA 29 JANUARY 2016

PSC/AHG/C0MM.3(DLXXI)

COMMUNIQUE

COMMUNIQUE

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 571^st meeting, held on 29 January 2016, at the level of Heads of State and Government, adopted the following decision on the situation in Burundi:

Council,

1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission PSC/AHG/(DLXXI) on the evolution of the situation in Burundi. Council also takes note of the statements made by the Second Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi, H.E. Joseph Butore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, Augustine P. Mahiga, in his capacity as the Representative of the current Chairman of the East African Community (EAC) and the Vice-President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, as the Representative of the EAC Mediator, H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Council further takes note of the statement made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon;

2. Reiterates the concern of the AU about the political situation, as well as the insecurity and violence, obtaining in Burundi;

3. Reaffirms the strong condemnation by the AU of all acts of violence, whoever be the perpetrators and the persistence of impunity and demands that all parties put an immediate end to all these attacks, violations of human rights and other abuses carried out against the civilians and the security forces;

4. Reiterates the commitment of the AU to respect the independence and territorial integrity of Burundi and therefore, condemns the armed attacks against its military structures, as well as any destabilization attempt, whatever be the origin, nature or the author;

5. Welcomes the steps taken by the Commission within the framework of the implementation of its relevant decisions on the situation in Burundi, particularly the support to the mediation led by Uganda and the mobilization of the international community to facilitate a coordinated action in support of the search for a peaceful solution to the current crisis;

6. Congratulates H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda and Mediator in the Burundi crisis, on behalf of the EAC, on the measures taken for the re­launching of the Inclusive Dialogue on 28 December 2015 in Entebbe and reiterates its support to him, for the continuation of the Dialogue. Council reiterates its call on all the Burundian stakeholders, both Government and opposition groups to fully cooperate with and show utmost respect to the mediation;

7. Stresses, once again, the imperative need for the Inter- Burundian Dialogue to be genuine and all-inclusive, without preconditions and focus on all the issues on which there is disagreement between the Burundian stakeholders. Council urges all Burundian stakeholders to respond, unconditionally and without delay, to the call of the Mediator for the continuation of the Dialogue in Arusha, Tanzania. As such, Council requests the Facilitator to conclude, as soon as possible, his consultations with the Government of Burundi and with other stakeholders in the Inter-Burundian Dialogue for its immediate resumption;

8. Welcomes the support of the region to the mediation efforts led by H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. In this regard, Council welcomes the convening of the informal ministerial meeting organized by Tanzania, Chair of the EAC, in Arusha, on 6 January 2016, which was attended by the representatives of Uganda, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the Secretary-General of the EAC and the AU;

9. Also welcomes the increasing mobilization of the international community, particularly the dispatch of a mission of the UN Security Council, which visited Burundi from 21 to 22 January 2016 and met with the main actors in the crisis, including the President of the Republic;

10. Takes note of the announcement made by the Delegation of Burundi that the Government of Burundi rejects the deployment of the African Prevention and Protection Mission in Burundi (MAPROBU). Council also takes note of the announcement made by the Delegation of Burundi of the commitment of the Government of Burundi to an inclusive Inter-Burundian Dialogue, as re-launched on 28 December 2015, in Entebbe, by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, EAC Mediator, with the support of the AU;

11. Council, in the light of the foregoing:

1. Decides not to deploy MAPROBU because it considers it premature to send such a force to Burundi and that an inclusive political dialogue must be supported under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Mr. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni;

2. Further decides to dispatch a high level delegation to Burundi to meet with the highest authorities of the Republic of Burundi, as well as with other Burundian stakeholders, to hold consultations on the inclusive Inter-Burundian Dialogue;

12. Requests the Chairperson of the Commission to take all the necessary initiatives to enable the expeditious mobilization of international assistance in support for the Inter- Burundian Dialogue;

13. Expresses its gratitude to the United Nations, the European Union, ICGLR, and other international partners for their multifarious support to the Inter-Burundian Dialogue, under the auspices of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and urges them to continue their support;

14. Requests the Chairperson of the Commission to urgently take all necessary initiatives to facilitate the efforts of the ongoing mediation, including the mobilization of the necessary financial and technical resources;

15. Reiterates its appreciation to the neighbouring countries hosting Burundian refugees, particularly Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, and appeals to the international community to continue and increase its assistance in order to alleviate the suffering of Burundian refugees;

16. Requests the Chairperson of the Commission to transmit the present Communique to all Member States and to the UN Secretary-General and through him, to the UN Security Council for its action as appropriate;

17. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.