The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 436^th meeting held on 23 May 2014, adopted the following decision on the terrorist activities of Jama'atu Ahlus-Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram:

Council,

1.    Takes note of the briefing provided by the Commission, as well as of the statement made by the representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

2.    Recalls its earlier communiqués on terrorism and violent extremism in Africa, including the communiqués adopted at its 249th meeting held on 22 November 2010 [PSC/PR/COMM.(CCXLVIX)], 303rd meeting held on 8 December 2011 [PSC/PR/COMM.2 (CCCIII)], and 341st meeting held on 13 November 2013 [PSC/PR/COMM.1(CCCXLI)]

3.    Strongly condemns the abhorrent terrorist attacks, including against schools and universities, markets and places of worship, carried out by Boko Haram over the past few years, killing hundreds of people, wounding many others and leading to significant displacements of populations both within the affected areas in Nigeria and towards the neighboring countries. Council also strongly condemns the cowardly kidnapping by Boko Haram, on 14 April 2014, of over 200 young girls from a school in the town of Chibok, in the Borno State, and whose fate remains unknown to-date;

4.    Expresses its unwavering solidarity with the people and Government of Nigeria, as well as its full support to the efforts being made by the Nigerian authorities to address the situation. Council also expresses solidarity with the anguished families of the kidnapped school girls and demands their immediate and unconditional release;

5.    Stresses that the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and other affiliated groups, including Ansaru, pose a serious threat not only to Nigeria but also to the region and the continent as a whole, especially given the links between these groups and other terrorist groups in the Sahel region and beyond, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Accordingly, Council calls on all AU Member States in a position to do so to extend assistance to the Nigerian Government in its efforts and share experience with it as may be appropriate;

6.    Welcomes the efforts being made at regional level to address the threat posed by Boko Haram and other affiliated groups, particularly among the member countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission;

7.    Further welcomes the progress made towards coordinated and collective efforts against terrorism and transnational organized crime within the framework of the Nouakchott Process on the Enhancement of Security Cooperation and Operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) in the Sahelo-Saharan region. In this respect, Council fully supports the operational conclusions adopted by the 5th meeting of the Heads of the Intelligence and Security Services of the countries of the region, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 19 to 20 May 2014, which include practical steps to address the threat posed by Boko Haram, and requests the Commission and the concerned Member States, Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution and institutions, including the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), to spare no efforts towards their timely and effective implementation;

8.    Welcomes the decision of the UN Security Council's Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of 22 May 2014 that approved the addition of Boko Haram to its list of individuals and entities subject to the targeted financial sanctions and the arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of resolution 2083(2012). Council calls on all AU member states to ensure the effective implementation of the sanctions as an effective tool towards eliminating the group and denying it access to  resources to carry out its criminal and terrorist activities;

9.    Reiterates the relevance of the AU Counter-Terrorism instruments, in particular the 1999 OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combatting Terrorism and its 2004 Protocol, as well as the 2002 AU Plan of Action, which provide a comprehensive framework for enhanced inter-African cooperation in combating  terrorism. Council also reiterates the key role of the ACSRT. Council calls for renewed efforts towards the effective implementation of the AU Counter-Terrorism instruments and, in this respect, stresses its commitment to fully operationalize its Counter-Terrorism sub-Committee;

10.    Requests the Commission to submit to it regular reports on the implementation of this communiqué;

11.    Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS