Addis Ababa, March 21 (NNN-ENA) The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU) has appealed to the international community, including AU member states, to urgently provide financial and logistical support to the commission and to AU member states that have pledged troops to the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
The council has also decided to fully endorse the Ouagadougou political Accord between Cote d’Ivoire political parties, it said in a statement received by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) following its meeting here Monday.
The council reiterated its appeal to member states, the United Nations and partners of the AU in a bid to facilitate the full deployment of AMISOM and to ensure its sustenance.
The council commended Algeria and other partners for their support for the deployment of AMISOM and it also applauded Uganda for its efforts and commitment to the promotion of lasting peace and reconciliation in Somalia
It commended the people of Somalia for having welcomed AMISOM and condemned isolated elements who carried out attacks against the mission.
The council welcomed resolution 1744 (2007) of Feb 20, 2007, by which the UN Security Council decided to authorize member states of AU to establish for a period of six months a mission in Somalia.
The council reiterated that AMISOM’s objective is to support the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and other federal institutions to achieve lasting peace and reconciliation.
Meanwhile, the council in its 73rd meeting held last Friday adopted a decision on the situation in Cote d’Ivoire, welcoming the signing of the Ouagadougou political accord between President Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Kigafori, the secretary general of the Forces Nouvelles, on March 4, 2007.
The Council recommended to the UN Security Council for the gradual drawdown of the impartial forces deployed in Cote d’Ivoire in line with the provisions for the implementation of the accord and the restoration of peace and normalcy in the country.