Adopted by the Peace and Security Council at its 1030th meeting held on 10 September 2021, on the situation in the Republic of Guinea
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling the relevant provisions of the July 2000 AU Constitutive Act, the July 2002 Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, in particular, Article 2 establishing the PSC as the standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflict in Africa, and the January 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance;
Mindful of the provisions of all relevant AU normative instruments, in particular the Declaration on the Framework for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Change of Government, adopted by the 36th Ordinary Session of the OAU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Lomé, Togo, from 10 to 12 July 2000 (the Lomé Declaration);
Further recalling its previous communiqués on the situation in Guinea, including PSC/PR/COMM.(CLXV), PSC/PR/COMM.(CCIV) and PSC/AHG/COMM.2(CCVII), adopted by its 165th, 204th and 207th meetings held, respectively on 29 December 2008, 17 September 2009, and 29 October 2009; also recalling press statement PSC/PR/BR.1(CCXX) adopted at its 220th meeting held on 11 March 2010, and communique [PSC/PR/COMM.2 (CCLII)] adopted at its 252nd meeting, held on 9 December 2010;
Noting the joint statement issued by the Chairperson of the AU, H.E. Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the statement of the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, as well as the communique adopted by the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, on 8 September 2021;
Further noting the statement by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Chad to the African Union, H.E. Ambassador Mahamad Ali Hassan, Chairperson of the PSC for the month of September 2021, and the briefing by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye; also noting the statements made by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Guinea to the AU and the Representative of Ghana, in its capacity as Chairperson of the ECOWAS;
Reaffirming the unwavering commitment of the AU to respect the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Guinea and AU’s continued solidarity with the people of Guinea in their aspirations for improved and sustainable democratic governance.
Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:
Expresses its deep concern over the situation in Guinea following the coup d’état, on 5 September 2021, which resulted in the unconstitutional takeover of power, the suspension of the Constitution and the dissolution of Government and all state institutions, and its impact on the country, the region and the Continent;
Pursuant to Article 4(p) of the AU Constitutive Act, totally rejects and strongly condemns the unconstitutional change of government in Guinea, through military coup d’état of 5 September 2021;
Endorses the communique adopted by the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, on 8 September 2021, in particular paragraph 11 and looks forward to the outcome of the ECOWAS high-level mission to Guinea;
Decides, accordingly, in line with the relevant AU normative instruments, to immediately suspend the Republic of Guinea from participation in all activities of the African Union, its Organs and institutions, until normal constitutional order is restored in the country;
Calls on the Guinean military to immediately release President Alpha Conde, along with other officials arrested unconditionally, while ensuring their personal safety and health;
Demands the Guinean military to urgently and unconditionally return to the barracks, uphold the principle of constitutionalism, and to refrain from further interference in the political processes in Guinea, failing which the Council will institute further targeted sanctions including punitive measures against all the actors involved in the military takeover of power;
Urges the Guinean people to remain calm, while calling on the military actors to refrain from all acts that could lead to violence and to give primacy to the supreme interest of the country in the promotion of peace, security and stability;
Demands a swift and full return to constitutional order through a civilian-led government, and a rapid solution to the current crisis;
Appeals to all external actors to refrain from any interference in the internal affairs of Guinea, which could further complicate the situation in the country;
Calls on the United Nations Security Council to also endorse the decision of the ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit on the situation in Guinea, herein endorsed by the PSC and support its implementation, with a view to ensure restoration of constitutional order in Guinea;
Requests the Chairperson of the Commission to continue consultations with the relevant stakeholders in Guinea and ECOWAS, as the concerned regional economic community, on the evolving situation on the ground, and provide quarterly briefings to the PSC;
Also requests the Chairperson of the Commission to establish an inclusive monitoring mechanism, comprising the AU, ECOWAS, UN and all other relevant stakeholders, to closely follow up on the situation in Guinea and the implementation of the ECOWAS and PSC decisions in the country;
Also requests the AU Commission to undertake a comprehensive and objective analysis focusing on the root causes and impact of the unconstitutional change of government arising from non-consensual and/or politically manipulated democratic processes;
Decides to undertake an assessment mission to Guinea, to engage with all concerned stakeholders, in order to identify areas in which the AU could provide support to Guinea to address challenges facing the country;
Also decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
Source: African Union
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