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Adopted by the Peace and Security Council at its 1087th meeting held on 1 June 2022 on the Situation in the Sahel:

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling Declaration [Ext/Assembly/AU/Decl.(XVI)] on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government, adopted by the 16th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from 27 to 28 May 2022; and Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.792(XXXIII)] on the situation in Libya and Sahel, adopted by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in February 2020;

Also recalling Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.1006 (2021)] adopted at its 1006th meeting held on 6 July 2021 on the consideration of the G5 Sahel mandate;

Reiterating its previous decisions on the situations in Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali, particularly Communiques [PSC/PR/COMM.1076 (2022)] adopted at its 1076th meeting held on 14 April 2022 on the political transition processes in Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan; [PSC/PR/COMM.1/1062 (2022)] adopted at its 1062nd meeting held on 31 January 2022 on the situation in Burkina Faso and [PSC/PR/COMM.1/1057 (2022)] adopted at its 1057th meeting held on 14 January 2022, on the situation in Mali;

Noting the opening remarks by H.E. Ambassador Daniel OWASSA, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Congo to the AU and Chairperson of the PSC for June 2022, and the statement of H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; also noting the briefings by H.E. Ambassador Mamane Sambo Sidikou, AU High Representative for Mali and the Sahel, and by the G5 Sahel Joint Force Commander, General Oumar Bikimo; further noting the statements made by the representatives of the Republic of Ghana as the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Republic of Chad as a member of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, as well as by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to the AU and Head of UN office to the AU (UNOAU);

Reaffirming the unwavering commitment of the AU to respect the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of all G5 Sahel Joint Force Members and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Expresses deep concern over the rapid deterioration of the security, political, and humanitarian situations in the Sahel region, particularly the continuation of terrorist attacks and the surge in fatalities, as well as the socio-economic challenges which has continued to affect the peace, stability and development of the region;

2. Reiterates its deep concern over the expansion of the threat of terrorism from the Sahel region towards the Gulf of Guinea countries coupled with the mutually reinforcing link between terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government, and the prevailing multidimensional socio-economic challenges such as community grievances, underdevelopment, climate change impact, and governance deficit and humanitarian crisis compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic;

3. Strongly condemns all attacks by terrorists, armed and criminal groups against civilians, security institutions of the countries of the region, as well as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and other international forces; and pays tribute to the gallant personnel of the G5 Sahel Joint Force for their relentless sacrifices in the cause of peace; expresses heartfelt condolences to all those who have paid the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty and wishes speedy recovery to the injured;

4. Commends the efforts deployed by the G5 Sahel Joint Force and its Member States in degrading the fighting capacity of the terrorist, armed and criminal groups operating in the Sahel region and appeals for intensification of efforts in the mobilization of additional resources for the Joint Force;

5. Expresses its concern over the decision of Malian authorities to withdraw from the G5 Sahel including the Joint Force as announced through a statement issued on 15 May 2022, which negatively impacts on the momentum thus far reached, the achievements recorded and the required unity and effectiveness of the Joint Force and, in this respect, encourages the Malian authorities and other G5 Members to consult towards reconsidering the withdrawal decision in the collective security interest of the Sahel;

6. Commends international partners for their continued financial and technical support to the efforts of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, as well as to efforts aimed at addressing the dire humanitarian situation in the Sahel region and, in this context, reiterates its call to the UN Security Council to take necessary steps to guarantee sustainable and predictable funding for the G5 Sahel Joint Force from the UN assessed contributions;

7. Recalls the Communique adopted at its 939th meeting of 30 July 2020, particularly paragraphs 5 and 6, and requests the Chairperson of the Commission to intensify consultations with the concerned stakeholders, inclusive of ECOWAS, ECCAS, and G5 Sahel Joint Force, on the deployment of the 3,000 troops in the Sahel region in the implementation of Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.792(XXXIII)] on the situation in Libya and Sahel of the 33rd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly held in February 2020, and promptly brief the PSC on the outcomes of the consultations for due consideration;

8. Emphasizes the importance of embracing comprehensive and multidimensional approaches in addressing the fundamental root causes and drivers of the security challenges facing the Sahel region; and in this respect, requests the AU Commission to remain actively engaged in supporting economic development and post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization programs in the Sahel countries;

9. To this effect, commends the efforts of the AU-UN-ECOWAS-G5 Sahel Joint Strategic Assessment on Governance and Security in the Sahel and appeals for the mobilization of requisite political, financial and technical support, in order to facilitate the successful implementation of the initiative;

10. Requests the AU Commission to expedite the revision of the AU Strategy for the Sahel region as soon as the Joint Strategic Assessment is completed, and to also work towards enhancing the visibility and image of the AU in the region, among others, through the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), including the provision of adequate resources to enable the Mission to more effectively discharge its mandate;

11. Underscores the need for enhanced cooperation, coordination and complementarity of efforts between and among the actors operating in the region, namely G5 Sahel Joint Force, Operation Barkhane, United Nations Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), TAKOUBA and the Multi-National Joint Task Force against the Boko Haram (MNJTF), the Nouakchott Process, and the Accra Initiative, as well as individual Member States and Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanism (RECs/RMs);

12. Encourages the authorities in Mali and Burkina Faso, in particular, to engage in good faith with ECOWAS and the AU, in order to reach an agreement on acceptable timelines for the swift return to normal constitutional order;

13. Emphasizes the imperative of a peace agreement between the transitional authorities in Chad and the armed groups, in order to ensure an inclusive and successful national dialogue and chart a sustainable path towards peace and democracy in the country; welcomes the start of the peace talks between the transitional authorities and armed groups in Doha, Qatar, and in this context, urges all parties to expedite the peace talk and reach a breakthrough in advance of the envisaged national dialogue; and calls, once again on the transition authorities to redouble their efforts to ensure an inclusive and transparent transition process;

14. Requests the AU Commission to mobilize necessary resources for the operationalization of the Transition Monitoring Mechanisms on Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, in order to facilitate a swift return to normal constitutional order in these Member States;

15. Further requests the Commission to deploy efforts towards the revitalization of the regional security cooperation and collaboration mechanisms, particularly the Nouakchott Process, including the promotion of ownership of such mechanisms by the countries of the region;

16. Looks forward to the outcomes of the upcoming ECOWAS Summit to be held in Accra, Ghana, on 4 June 2022; and

17. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.