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The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU) Dr. Jean Ping, is closely monitoring the developments in the relations between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of Kenya, following a judicial decision in Kenya regarding the situation in Darfur, on which Africa has adopted a fair, correct and lucid decision on the need to articulate, in a balanced manner, the promotion of peace and the quest for justice.

Within this context, the Chairperson of the Commission commends the timely and appropriate statement made by the Executive Secretary of IGAD, and fully associates the AU Commission with this position as an expression of the attitude of all the countries concerned about this development. There is no doubt that IGAD and its Member States and, indeed, all the entire membership of the AU will continue to comply scrupulously with the African common position on the respect of the immunity of the President of the Republic of the Sudan, Mr. Omar Hassan Al Bashir, as well as that of all the other incumbent African Heads of State.

The Chairperson of the Commission notes with appreciation that the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of the Sudan are acting diligently and with good will to preserve their brotherly relations. He encourages Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Omar Hassan Al Bashir and their Governments to leave no stone unturned to clear any misunderstanding and defuse tension between their two countries. He stresses the crucial importance of building trust between the two countries, so as to foster cooperation and create the conditions that will enable the region as a whole to successfully meet the challenges of peace and development.