AU Commission Chairperson meets the Special Envoy of Egypt’s Interim President

Addis Ababa, 22 July 2013 - The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma today 22 July 2013 met with the Special Envoy of the Interim President of Egypt, Ambassador Mona Omar, at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ambassador Omar conveyed the position of Egypt’s interim government on the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council on 5 July 2013, suspending Egypt until the return to constitutional order. She also sought clarification about the terms of reference and the mandate of the AU High-Level Panel on Egypt, which was subsequently established by the AU Commission.

At the end of the discussions, the AUC Chairperson and the Special Envoy of the Interim President of Egypt agreed that the AU High-Level Panel would travel to Egypt to meet with all the Egyptian stakeholders and brief the AU Peace and Security Council on its mission. They also agreed that any further AU engagement with the interim Egyptian authorities would be decided after the report of the AU High-Level Panel is handed to the AU Peace and Security Council.

“We have agreed that we will send the Panel there and they will meet with everybody and come back and inform us. The Panel is made up of former President Konare of Mali and former Chairperson of the AU Commission, former President Mogae of Botswana, and the former Prime Minister of Djibouti (Mr Dileite Mohamed Dileite)”, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced during the joint press briefing after the meeting.

The date of the visit of the AU High-Level Panel to Egypt will be agreed by both parties through diplomatic channels.