Inaugural meeting of the African Union High-Level Panel for Egypt

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 16, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The African Union (AU) High-Level Panel for Egypt, established by the Chairperson of the Commission in response to the situation in that country, held its inaugural meeting today at the AU headquarters, in Addis Ababa. The meeting was attended by the three members of the Panel, namely former President of the Republic of Mali and former Chairperson of the AU Commission, Alpha Oumar Konare, Chair of the Panel; Gontebanye Festus Mogae, former President of the Republic of Botswana; and Dileita Dileita Mohamed, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Djibouti. The AU Commissioner for Peace and Security also participated in the meeting.

The inaugural meeting provided the Commission with the opportunity to brief the members of the High-Level Panel on the mandate assigned to them and to discuss its work program for the coming weeks, including the organization of an introductory visit to Egypt at an early date to be determined following the installation of the Government that is currently being formed. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the modalities of interaction with international partners, notably the League of Arab States, to facilitate a coordinated and effective support for an inclusive transition leading to a rapid return to constitutional order.