The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) Commission has demanded that Guinea’s coup leaders confirm if they are due to run for the elections or not.
The commission gave the coup leaders a one day ultimatum until Saturday 17 October 2009 to declare their position regarding the upcoming election in that country,which remains under the coup leaders since last December 2008.
The call was made after the PSC convened a meeting about the situation in Guinea late on Thursday in Addis Ababa.
It is to be recalled that last week, violence erupted in Guinea after reports of the coup leader’s decision to run for the election later this year.
“Council reiterated its decision of 17 September 2009, to impose appropriate sanctions against the President of the CNDD and other individuals, civilian and military, if by 17 October 2009, the authorities did not formally confirm the commitment of the President of the CNDD that neither he nor other members of the CNDD, nor the Prime Minister, will run for the presidential election,” said the AU.
Council also requested the Commission, in collaboration with ECOWAS and AU partners, to take the necessary steps with a view to finalizing the measures to be taken and the list of individuals to be targeted by the sanctions and to report to it thereon.
Council gave its full support to the mediation efforts by President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, in conformity with the mandate given to him for that purpose by the Chairman of ECOWAS, in response to the request made by the President of the Commission following the conclusions of the 7th session of the International Contact Group held in New York on 22 September 2009.
Council agreed to meet again to discuss the situations in Guinea and Niger, in light of the outcomes of the ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit.
Council further welcomed the forthcoming ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit on 17 October 2009, to discuss the situations in Guinea and Niger and looks forward to the conclusions of the meeting.
Source African Press Agency
