DECISION ON THE REPORT ON THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUMMIT DECISION ON THE ERADICATION OF TSETSE FLIES FROM AFRICA (CM/Dec. 661)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. RECALLS Decision AHG/Dec.156 (XXXVI) urging Member States to rise collectively to the challenge of eliminating the scourge of tsetse-transmitted diseases from Africa and assigning the Secretary General the task of initiating and coordinating a Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC) as well as Decision AHG/Dec.169 (XXXVII) endorsing a Plan of Action prepared by the Secretariat for the implementation of the Pan African tsetse eradication campaign;

3. NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the establishment of the PATTEC Policy and Mobilisation Committee and URGES its members to actively seek ways of guiding and generating support for the PATTEC initiative;

4. COMMENDS the efforts of those African countries which had already embarked on tsetse eradication projects and EXPRESSES ITS GRATITUDE to the International Atomic Energy Agency for the support and assistance extended to Member States and the Secretariat in the implementation of the PATTEC initiative;

5. URGES all affected countries to include tsetse eradication in their national priorities, within their Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers so as to qualify for debt relief mechanisms or other forms of budgetary support to ensure its implementation;

6. APPEALS to the international community to lend technical and financial support to the efforts of Member States and the Secretariat in implementing the PATTEC initiative;

7. REQUESTS the Secretary General to continue reminding all Member States about their individual and collective obligations in the struggle to eliminate the scourge of tsetse-transmitted diseases from Africa, to monitor the progress made in this endeavour and to report on the issue every year;

8. CALLS UPON the Secretary General to include a budgetary provision in the Budget of the African Union to cater for the activities of the General Secretariat in coordinating the PATTEC initiative.

DECISION ON THE SITUATION IN LIBERIA (CM/Dec. 662)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. CONDEMNS all attempts to seize power by force in Liberia;

3. CALLS ON all States in the region to cease support for armed groups from neighbouring countries and prevent armed groups from using their territories to prepare and stage attacks on neighbouring countries;

4. URGES all the parties to the conflict in Liberia to urgently engage in a process of dialogue and reconciliation;

5. ENCOURAGES ECOWAS, working together with the OAU and other members of the International Community, to persevere in current efforts to launch that process of dialogue between the parties;

6. COMMENDS the leaders of the Mano River Union for the progress achieved so far in implementing the decisions of the Mano River Union summit of 27 February 2002, at Rabat, Morocco;

7. CALLS ON the United Nations Security Council to lift the sanctions imposed by it on Liberia, in the light of their grave socio-economic impact on the populace;

8. EXPRESSES concern at the grave humanitarian situation obtaining in Liberia and the neighbouring countries as a consequence of the fighting in that country and CALLS on OAU Member States and the International Community, as a whole, to provide the required assistance to the affected population;

9. REQUESTS the Secretary General to continue with the initiatives and consultations that are aimed at contributing to the efforts to bring peace to Liberia.

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DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL ON THE SITUATION IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) (CM/Dec. 663)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. REAFFIRMS its commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, as well as its sovereignty over its natural resources and the commitment made by all neighouring countries of the DRC, under the provisions of the OAU and UN Charters, as well as of the Constitutive Act, to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC;

3. WELCOMES the commitment of the parties, renewed during the Fourth Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia, on 3 April 2002, to comply with the provisions of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, as the only framework negotiated and accepted by all the Parties for a lasting solution to the conflict in the DRC. In this respect, Council NOTES WITH SATISFACTION that, in general, the parties have respected the ceasefire and implemented the combatants’ disengagement and redeployment plans and sub-plans as laid down by the Kampala and Harare plans and sub-plans;

4. However, EXPRESSES concern over serious violations of the ceasefire reported in some parts of the DRC, including military operations by armed groups in the Eastern part of the DRC;

5. URGES all concerned parties including those who supply them to take the necessary measures to put an end to such incursions including the cessation of all political, military and economic support which enabled them to continue their activities;

6. TAKES NOTE of the progress made during the negotiations which took place in Sun City, South Africa, from 25 February to 19 April 2002 within the framework of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue and URGES the parties to work towards the conclusion of an inclusive and comprehensive agreement, in compliance with the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement;

7. EXPRESSES ITS GRATITUDE to the Facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire, for his commitment to the cause of reconciliation in the DRC as well as to President Thabo Mbeki for his active involvement in the Dialogue and for South Africa’s generous contribution which facilitated the Dialogue, as well as its material support which made it possible;

8. WELCOMES the appointment, by the United Nations Secretary General, of a Special Envoy for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue in the person of Mr. Moustapha Niasse and REQUESTS the Secretary General to continue to provide him with all the necessary support;

9. ALSO WELCOMES the appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary General in the DRC in the person of Mr. Martin BONGO of the Republic of Gabon;

10. ENCOURAGES the countries signatory to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement to pursue their contacts with a view to establishing conditions conducive to the implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement;

11. CONDEMNS the incitements to violence and acts of violence perpetrated in Kisangani in mid-May, as well as reprisals against local civilian populations and URGES RCD-Goma to demilitarize the city of Kisangani and its environs without delay, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1304 and 1355 and the commitment made by the DRC to that effect;

12. WELCOMES adoption by the Security Council, of Resolution 1417 (2002) of 14 June 2002 which, inter-alia, decided to extend the mandate of MONUC until 30 June 2003. Council however remains concerned by the fact that the Security Council neither accepted the increase of MONUC Forces, as recommended by the United Nations Secretary General, nor reinforced the latter’s mandate to turn it into a peace-keeping force, as recommended by the Fourth Summit of Signatory Parties and the Political Committee during its meeting in Luanda on 1 May 2002;

13. ALSO URGES the UN to increase the capacity and mandate of MONUC on the ground in the DRC so that it can effectively implement the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement;

14. URGES the parties to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement to take the necessary measures to enable MONUC to successfully carry out the tasks assigned to it under Phase III of its deployment, namely, the combatants’ Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Resettlement and Reintegration (DDRRR) Programme;

15. REITERATES the importance of total withdrawal of all Foreign Forces from the DRC. To this end, EXPRESSES concern over the slowing down observed in the process for withdrawal of foreign troops and UNDERSCORES the obligation of all concerned States to honour their specific commitments according to the terms of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement;

16. RENEWS ITS APPEALS to OAU Member States and the international community at large to continue to support the peace process in the DRC, including assistance to the DDRRR Programmes and the withdrawal of foreign troops, as well as the Inter-Congolese National Dialogue;

17. EXPRESSES serious concern over the humanitarian situation and repeated violations of international human rights perpetrated in DRC;

18. APPEALS to all Member States and the international community at large to provide further assistance to the needy populations and URGES all concerned parties to put an end to acts of violence against civilians and respect international human rights.

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DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL ON THE SITUATION IN THE COMOROS (CM/Dec. 664)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. WELCOMES the restoration of the unity and territorial integrity of the Comoros and the establishment of the Executive of the Union of the Comoros and the Autonomous Islands;

3. EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION at the election of the President of the Union of the Comoros, Colonel Azali Assoumani, and the Presidents of the Autonomous Islands of Anjouan, Grand Comoros and Moheli;

4. CONGRATULATES the newly elected authorities of the Union and the Autonomous Islands and exhorts them and all the other Comorian parties involved in the reconciliation process to continue to demonstrate the same spirit of dialogue and accommodation to enable them to complete the setting up of the institutions of the Union and the Autonomous Islands, and to further the reconciliation process;

5. PAYS TRIBUTE to the countries of the Region, under the coordination of the Republic of South Africa, and the Secretary General and his collaborators for their sustained efforts aimed at preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the Comoros and facilitating the establishment of constitutional rule in the country;

6. EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION to all OAU Partners in the Comoros, namely: l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, the European Union, the United Nations, the League of Arab States and others, for their continuous support for the efforts of the OAU in the Comoros;

7. APPEALS to OAU Member States and the international community at large to provide to the Comoros the necessary financial assistance aimed at improving the living conditions of the population and promoting the socio-economic development of the country;

8. REQUESTS the Secretary General, in consultation with the Comorian authorities and the Government of Mauritius, to finalize the preparations for the convening, as soon as possible, of the donors conference on the Comoros.

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DECISION ON THE SITUATION IN ANGOLA (CM/Dec. 665)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. WELCOMES the Signing in April 2002 by the respective military Chiefs of the Angola Armed Forces and UNITA troops, of a Memorandum of Understanding supplementary to the Lusaka Protocol for the Cessation of Hostilities and the Resolution of Pending Military Issues under the Lusaka Protocol, as well as progress made in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding;

3. ALSO WELCOMES the commitment of the Angolan Government to a lasting peace and reconciliation in the country in accordance with the Lusaka Protocol. In this connection, Council NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the communiqué issued on 13 March 2002 by the Angolan Government, in which it announced the measures it intends to take within the context of the peace process;

4. UNDERSCORES the need to maintain the sanctions against UNITA until the peace process is consolidated. To this end, Council WELCOMES the decision of the Security Council of 18 April 2002 to extend the mandate of the United Nations Monitoring Mechanism for a further period of six months;

5. TAKES NOTE of the report of the OAU Ad-Hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the UN Security Council Sanctions against UNITA as presented by its Chairman, COMMENDS the efforts of the Committee and expresses support for the work carried out by the Committee;

6. SUPPORTS the initiative of the Angolan Government to embark on public investment programme aimed at mobilizing resources for the post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation, as well as for socio-economic development;

7. APPEALS to the International Community to continue to contribute to the post-conflict reconstruction efforts and provide Angola with humanitarian assistance including integration of UNITA combatants into the national army or their return to civilian life, demining, as well as rehabilitation of displaced persons and repatriation of refugees. To this end, Council EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION of the Angolan Government’s commitment to work closely with the International Community;

8. REITERATES the readiness of the OAU/AU to support the efforts of the Angolan people and their leaders for a lasting peace and sustainable development.

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DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CSSDCA PROCESS (CM/Dec. 666)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. TAKES NOTE WITH SATISFACTION of the outcome of the Experts’ meeting on the Development and Cooperation Calabashes and the Experts’ meeting on the Security and Stability Calabashes, convened in Midrand, South Africa and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 9 – 13 December 2001 and 14 – 17 May 2002 respectively;

3. WELCOMES the convening of the second OAU-Civil Society Conference on Developing Partnership between the OAU and African Civil Society Organizations, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 11 – 15 June 2002;

4. TAKES NOTE of the recommendations of the second OAU-Civil Society Conference, in particular, those relating to the African Union and the CSSDCA Process;

5. COMMENDS Nigeria and South Africa for their generous contribution of five hundred thousands dollars (US$500,000) each for the implementation of the CSSDCA Process, and CALLS on other Members States to also provide financial support to the process;

6. ENDORSES the Memorandum of Understanding on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation adopted by the two Experts meeting as enriched by the OAU-Civil Society Conference;

7. DECIDES to submit the Memorandum of Understanding on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation and the recommendations of the second OAU-Civil Society Conference for the consideration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

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DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL ON THE SITUATION OF REFUGEES, RETURNEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS (CM/Dec. 667)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN over the magnitude, complexity and recurrence of the refugee phenomenon in Africa, as well as the serious violations of human rights of which refugee populations particularly children, are victims;

3. In this connection, DENOUNCES AND CONDEMNS sexual violence and exploitation of refugee children and DEMANDS that the perpetrators of such acts be brought to justice and punished;

4. EXPRESSES SATISFACTION at the commendable efforts deployed by some asylum countries and countries of origin to promote the voluntary repatriation of refugees in conditions of security and dignity;

5. REITERATES the civilian and humanitarian nature of asylum and CALLS UPON host countries in particular to take the necessary steps to ensure that it is provided in conformity with the conventions in force and the relevant OAU Convention on the specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa;

6. EXPRESSES ITS DEEP GRATITUDE to the asylum countries for their hospitality and generosity and APPEALS to the international community as a whole to share the burden by providing sustained increased and considerable assistance to the populations and States concerned;

7. ENCOURAGES African States to ensure the implementation and regular follow-up of the Global Plan of Action adopted by the special conference of technical, governmental and non-governmental experts which was convened in Conakry by OAU and the UNHCR on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the 1969 Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee problems in Africa;

8. CALLS UPON Member States to incorporate, as much as possible, in their national and regional development plans, the specific problems of refugees, especially since they constitute an important human potential which is able to contribute fully in the socio-economic development of their asylum countries;

9. REQUESTS the Secretary General and the OAU Commission on Refugees to continue to monitor the situation of refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa, and to work in close collaboration with the United Nations, more particularly with the UNHCR as well as concerned humanitarian Organisations, in the search for a lasting solution to this problem.

DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL ON EXTERNAL SUPPORT TO ECONOMIC INTEGRATION PROGRAMME IN AFRICA (CM/Dec. 668)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. COMMENDS the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the United Nations Development Programme for the technical and financial assistance they have provided to the process of economic integration in Africa;

3. CALLS ON development partners to accord priority in their development assistance to capacity building for the effective implementation of programmes of regional integration in Africa.

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DECISION ON THE OUTCOME OF THE 15^TH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN MINISTERS OF INDUSTRY (CAMI-15) (CM/Dec. 669)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. EXPRESSES ITS GRATITUDE to the Government and People of the Republic of Cameroon for hosting the 15^th Session of the Conference of African Ministers of Industry (CAMI-15) held in Yaounde, Cameroon from 22 to 24 October 2001;

3. CALLS UPON all Member States to take the necessary measures and actions for the implementation of the Resolution adopted by CAMI-15 as well as the recommendation of the Private Sector Forum;

4. INVITES the African Regional Economic Communities in collaboration with ADB, ECA, UNIDO and other agencies of the UN System, other financing institutions to develop effective programmes for industrial integration, through coordination and harmonization of policies and strategies in the sector;

5. REQUESTS UNIDO to provide the necessary technical assistance to OAU and its Member States as well as to RECs with the view to accelerating the implementation of the recommendations adopted by CAMI-15;

6. ALSO REQUESTS the Secretary General in cooperation with all relevant partners and through coordination with CAMI-15 Bureau, to ensure that Africa’s industrialization is accorded high priority in the agenda of the African Union.

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DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE 4^TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE AFRICAN POPULATION COMMISSION (APC) (CM/Dec. 670)

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report:

2. RECOGNIZES the challenges African countries are facing in regard to population issues particularly relating to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Youth and Migration;

3. EMPHASIZES the need to strengthen effective and new strategies and priorities for dealing with HIV/AIDS, TB and Other Related Infectious Diseases from an African perspective and resource mobilization context within the framework of the implementation of the Abuja Summit on these diseases;

4. CALLS UPON Member States to develop appropriate reproductive health and population growth and development policies and design clearly defined strategies for policies formulated, and fully involve the population at grassroot level, the NGO sector, women’s groups, youth groups, etc.. in policy dialogues and consultations;

5. FURTHER CALLS UPON Member States to focus on the family, to better identify its roles in the population and development interrelationships as well as to stress the content of policy-decisions and collective responsibilities at national and regional levels;

6. ENCOURAGES Regional Economic Communities to establish networks of Member States and strengthen partnerships among them to ensure an effective implementation of the South-South programmes in the field of population and development and to promote regional cooperation in the field of Population and Development through sensitization;

7. STRESSES that the APC should continue its advocacy role on population and development matters and that financial and human resources should be provided in the new African Union structure;

8. APPEALS to the International Community and donor agencies in particular UNFPA, USAID, NGOs to continue supporting and providing the necessary assistance to achieve the above objectives and to support our efforts for the implementation of the Dakar/Ngor Declaration and the ICPD-PA;

9. EXPRESSES APPRECIATION to UNFPA for supporting the OAU in organizing the 4^th General Assembly of the African Population Commission (APC);

10. FINALLY REQUESTS the Secretary General of the OAU in collaboration with the Executive Secretary of the ECA and the President of the ADB and other Population Institutions to monitor developments in population activities in Africa and to submit reports regularly on the progress made in implementing the APC recommendations.