The AU Commissioner for Peace and Security concludes consultations with djiboutian and eritrean authorities
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- In the context of the relevant decisions of the AU policy organs, regarding the situation in the Horn of Africa, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smaïl Chergui, visited the Republic of Djibouti and the State of Eritrea, on 19 April and on 6 May 2014, respectively.
During those visits, the Commissioner was received by President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and President Isaias Afewerki. He seized the opportunity of his interactions with the two Heads of State to apprise them of the AU's peace efforts in the region and other related issues. In this context, the Commissioner discussed issues relating to relations between Djibouti and Eritrea. It should be recalled that, in its decisions on the reports of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa, the Assembly of the Union has repeatedly underscored the need for more sustained efforts to normalize relations between Djibouti and Eritrea, and has requested the Commission to continue to work towards that end.
During the discussions, the Commissioner reiterated the AU's appeals to Djibouti and Eritrea to complete the normalization of their relations, in the context of the Agreement they signed on 6 June 2010 under the auspices of the State of Qatar. He was encouraged by the willingness of the two Heads of State to overcome the challenges at hand and promote good neighbourliness.
The Commissioner seized the opportunity of his meeting with President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh to reiterate AU's appreciation to the Government of Djibouti for its contribution to the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the sacrifices made in this respect, as well as for its pledge to deploy a formed police unit within the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA). He conveyed AU's heartfelt condolences for the recent loss of Djiboutian soldiers serving under AMISOM.