Addis Ababa, 18 April 2012: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping, who continues to follow closely the developments in Mali, has learned, with deep concern, of the arrest, in recent days, of several Malian political and military high-level personalities.

The Chairperson of the Commission strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and sequestration of these personalities, in flagrant violation of their most basic rights. He demands the immediate release of the detained personalities and respect for their physical integrity and dignity.

The Chairperson of the Commission considers that these acts, at this critical juncture in the history of Mali, contribute to the maintenance of an atmosphere detrimental to the process for the effective return to constitutional order, on the basis of the spirit and letter of the Framework Agreement of 6 April 2012, as well as to the search of the consensus necessary for the success of the efforts aimed at enabling Mali to meet the serious challenges facing the country, in particular the reestablishment, without delay, of State authority on its entire territory.

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