Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
COMMUNIQUE OF THE MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION AND THE TRIOIKA OF THE OAU CENTRAL ORGAN ON THE SITUATION IN THE COMOROS
Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA 21 DECEMBER 1999
The Ministerial meeting of the countries of the region and the Triokaa of the OAU Central Organ met in Pretoria, South Africa, on December 21, 1999, to consider the situation in the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros.
The meeting was convened at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, the Co-ordinating country of the regional efforts on the Comoros, and upon the recommendation of the Sixtieth Ordinary Session of the Central Organ, which met at Ambassadorial level in Addis Ababa on 19 November, 1999.
The meeting was chaired by the Honourable N.C. Dlamini-Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, and was attended by:
A Comorian delegation led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed El Amin Souef, also attended the meeting. The meeting also held discussions with a delegation of the Anjouanese party led by Col. Abeid.
The meeting considered the situation in the Comoros in the light of the decisions adopted by the Council of Ministers and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Algiers in July 1999 and the most recent developments in the country.
The meeting afforded the opportunity to the participants to take stock of the efforts deployed by the OAU, with the support of the International Community, aimed at promoting a solution to the crisis based on the respect of the unity and territorial integrity of the Comoros and on the need to take into account the legitimate aspirations of the Islands and their inhabitants.
The meeting noted with concern the lack of progress in the implementation of the Antananarivo Agreement due to the refusal by the Anjouanese party to sigh the Agreement.
It further noted that the coup d'Etat, which was perpetrated on 30 April 1999 and which was condemned by the OAU and the International Community at large, has further compounded the crisis.
In this regard, the meeting decided that measures aimed at isolating the leadership of the Anjouanese Separatist Movement be applied immediately upon the expiration of the deadline of 1 February 2000.
It further underscored the critical importance of the speedy return to constitutional order before the next OAU Summit, in accordance with the Algiers Decision and the relevant provisions of the Antananarivo Agreement. In this regard, it took note of the commitment expressed by the Comorian Authorities to co-operation in the attainment of this objective. The meeting requested the Ambassadors of the countries of the Region and the Troika of the OAU Central Organ in Addis Ababa, with the support of the General Secretariat, to prepare and submit to the next Ministerial meeting, before the OAU Council of Ministers, concrete proposals on the modalities for the return to constitutional order in the Comoros. The meeting agreed that the OAU and the countries of the Region will consider further measures to be implemented gradually with a view to putting an end to the crisis. To that end, the meeting decided to establish a Committee of experts to draw up a detailed set of measures and work out the modalities for their implementation. The Committee will submit its report to the Ministerial meeting prior to the next session of the OAU Council of Ministers.
Finally the meeting expressed its appreciation and gratitude to the Government of the Republic of South Africa for the hospitality extended to the delegations and for the excellent facilities provided for the meeting.
COMMUNIQUÉ
As part of the efforts aimed at finding a solution to the crisis in the Comoros, an OAU Ministerial meeting comprising Ministers and other representatives of the countries of the region and the Trioka of the OAU Central Organ met today with a delegation of Anjouan. The meeting was made possible through special arrangements by the Government of South Africa which provided a special plane to bring the Anjouanese Delegation to Pretoria. These arrangements further testify to the disposition of the OAU to engage the Anjouanese party in meaningful dialogue.
The Anjouanese delegation was led by Colonel Said Abeid. The focus of the meeting was to see how the Antananarivo Agreement can be implemented bearing in mind that the Agreement provides a sound framework for a solution to the crisis and also taking into account that the Agreement arrived at Antananarivo was a result of prolonged consultations and negotiations involving all the Comorian parties including the Anjouanese.
In the course of the meeting, the Ministers and other representatives through their Chairperson, the Foreign Minister of South Africa, Dr. Zuma reminded the Anjouanese party of their pledge in Antananarivo to explain to their population the contents of the Agreement before signing it.
The ministerial meeting urged the Anjouanese side to reconsider their intransigent position and sign the Agreement without further delay so that the processes provided therein can be implemented. The Anjouanese party, in response, stated that it is not prepared to sigh the Agreement. The ministerial meeting urged the Anjouanese party to reconsider its position and gave the Anjouanese party up to February 1, 2000 to respond positively. It was made clear to the Ajouanese party that failure to do so would lead to a series of measures being taken against the leadership of the Separatist Movement. These measures would include, in the first instance, the isolation of the Separatist leaders.
It was, at the same time, emphasised that the measures be contemplated will not be directed at the population of Anjouan.
Pretoria, 21 December 1999