The Chairperson condemned the aggression been perpetrated against the Transitional Federal Government and its institutions, as well as the civilian population by these armed groups. He expressed concern at the increasingly precarious humanitarian situation which has led to the displacement of thousands of persons in the last few days.
The Chairperson reiterated the support and commitment of the African Union tot he TFG and considered that continued attacks on the Government are rejected as an attempt at an unconstitutional change of Government and will be sanctioned as such by Africa and the international community.
The Chairperson welcomed the recent commitment by the international community to assist Somalia and reiterated AU's call on the UN Security Council to authorize the deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation to take over AMISOM and undertake the post-conflict reconstruction of Somalia.
He once again, urged all Somalis to refrain from using violence and to join the reconciliation process to build a peaceful and democratic Somalia.
Addis Ababa, 19 May 2009