The Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution held its 85^th Ordinary session at Ambassadorial level, on Friday 11 October 2002, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The session was chaired by Ambassador Smaïl Chergui, Permanent Representative of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the African Union (AU).

The Central Organ reviewed the present crisis between Eritrea and the Sudan and the evolution of the situation in Côte d’Ivoire. The Central Organ was also informed of the outcome of the Summit of the Heads of State and delegation of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, held in Libreville, Gabon, on 2October 2002.

At the end of its deliberations, the Central Organ decided as follows:

I. ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ERITREA AND THE SUDAN

The Central Organ, after having heard the report by the Interim Chairperson on the recent developments that had taken place in the relations between Eritrea and the Sudan as well as on the envisaged initiatives to defuse the present tension and to promote peace and stability, and having listened to the representatives of the two countries:

1. EXPRESSED its grave concern about the tension characterising the relations between the two countries for some days, and about the threats of the situation to peace and security in the region;

2. APPEALED URGENTLY to the leaders of the two countries to exercise restraint and refrain from all acts that would heighten the tension and to work, through dialogue, towards solving their differences, in conformity with the relevant principles of the Constitutive Act of the African Union;

3. EXPRESSED SATISFACTION at the decision of the Interim Chairperson of the Commission to dispatch a mission to the Sudan and Eritrea and URGED the authorities of the two countries to cooperate with the delegation of the AU.

4. COMMENDED the African Leaders who made efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis between the Sudan and Eritrea.

II. ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE SITUATION IN CÔte d’Ivoire

The Central Organ, after having heard the report of the Interim Chairperson on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire and the status of the efforts aimed at resolving the crisis in that country:

1. REITERATED its serious concern about the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire and its implications for peace, security, stability and development in the region;

2. REITERATED its firm condemnation of the attempt to take power by force in Côte d’Ivoire, its commitment to the unity and the territorial integrity of Côte d’Ivoire and its support to the legal institutions of that country;

3. SUPPORTED the communiqué adopted by the ECOWAS Summit held in Accra, on 29 September 2002 and EXPRESSED its high appreciation to President John A. Kufuor of Ghana and his Government for the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis;

4. STRESSED the need for an immediate ceasefire and EXPRESSED its support for the sustained efforts deployed by the ECOWAS and its Contact Group to end the hostilities and establish the conditions conducive to the resolution of the crisis. In this regard, it paid tribute to President Abdoulaye Wade, of Senegal, Current Chairman of ECOWAS and to the other Leaders of the Region for their untiring efforts to obtain a ceasefire;

5. EXPRESSED SATISFACTION at the efforts of the Interim Chairperson of the Commission and of his Special Envoy, Mr. Miguel Trovoada, former President of Sao Tome and Principe, to give effective support to ECOWAS and to contribute, on behalf of the African Union, to the resolution of the crisis;

6. APPEALED to the Member States and the entire International Community to support the efforts of ECOWAS and of the African Union;

7. URGENTLY APPEALED to the Ivorian Government and to the “Patriotic Movement of Côte d’Ivoire” to fully cooperate with ECOWAS for a speedy resolution of the crisis based on the relevant principles stipulated in the Constitutive Act of the AU, in particular the rejection of any unconstitutional change of government;

8. EXPRESSED ITS CONCERN about the grave humanitarian consequences resulting from the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. In this regard, the Central Organ expresseD satisfaction at the commitment made by the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire to protect foreign communities living in Côte d’Ivoire and REQUESTED the Commission to closely follow the evolution of the situation with a view to assessing the humanitarian impact of the crisis and taking all appropriate measures in this regard;

9. DECIDED to remain actively seized with the situation and REQUESTED the Interim Chairperson of the Commission to keep it informed about the evolution of the efforts for the resolution of the crisis.

III. ON THE OUTCOME OF THE SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND DELEGATION OF CEMAC, held in Libreville on 2 october 2002

The Central Organ:

1. EXPRESSED SATISFACTION at the outcome of the Libreville Summit, in particular, the political, security and military measures agreed upon between CAR and Chad to facilitate the speedy normalization of their relations and PAID TRIBUTE to the Leaders of CEMAC and CENSAD, the Interim Chairperson of the Commission as well as to the UN Secretary General and his Representative in CAR for their efforts to resolve the crisis in the relations between Chad and Central African Republic (CAR);

2. ENCOURAGED the Leaders of the two countries to take the necessary steps for the immediate implementation of the measures contained in the Libreville Communiqué;

3. INVITED the Interim Chairperson to take, in concert with CEMAC, the necessary steps to enable the AU to continue to contribute to the efforts underway towards normalising the relations between CAR and Chad and to promote peace and stability in the Central African Region.

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