African Union: Essy express concern on the situation in Somalia, condemns coup in CAR

The Interim Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Amara Essy, expressed his concern over the reported violations of the Declaration of Cessation of Hostilities signed on the 27th October 2002, in Eldoret, Kenya, by all the Somali Leaders attending the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference, the African Union Said in a statement.

The African Union strongly condemned these violations, which are causing unnecessary loss of life and the destruction of property, as well as tremendous suffering to the people of Somalia. Such violations undermined the ongoing Reconciliation Conference aimed at restoring peace and stability in Somalia, the statement said. "It is all the more regrettable that the violations were occurring at a time when all efforts are being made by the Facilitators of the peace process, sponsored by IGAD and supported by the African Union, to put in place a monitoring mechanism."

The African Union asked all those involved in the violations to desist from doing so. Should the current situation continue, the AU would call for the imposition of sanctions against all the leaders and parties whose activities undermined the cause of reconciliation, peace and reconstruction in Somalia, the statement warned.

Meanwhile, the Interim Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Mr. Amara Essy, strongly condemned the coup d'Etat that took place in the Central African Republic (CAR) on the evening of 15th March 2003, the AU said in a statement. He recalled the rejection and the unequivocal condemnation by the African Union of unconstitutional change of government, in keeping with the Decisions and Declarations adopted by the Algiers and Lome Summits and the provisions of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the statement said.

In conformity with the Lome Declaration, the Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution would meet very shortly to consider the situation and the measures to be taken, it said.