Addis Ababa, 9 August 2018: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, followed with interest President Alassane Ouattara's address on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the independence of Côte d’Ivoire. He notes with satisfaction the courageous measures he has announced. These will greatly contribute to the consolidation of the remarkable achievements made by Côte d'Ivoire since the end of the post-electoral crisis of October 2010.

The Chairperson of the Commission notes, in particular, the amnesty granted to an estimated 800 persons who were prosecuted or sentenced for offenses related to the 2010 crisis and other offenses. These include Mrs. Simone Ehivet Gbagbo and other personalities. He emphasizes that this decision is in line with the African Union's approach of dealing with the demand for justice and the quest for reconciliation in complementary ways and in a mutually-reinforcing manner.

The Chairperson of the Commission also notes with satisfaction the decision of President Ouattara to request his Government to reconsider the composition of the Independent Electoral Commission, in accordance with the 18 November 2018 ruling of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, one of the Organs of the African Union. This is further testimony to President Ouattara's commitment to the deepening of democracy in his country, as well as to Côte d'Ivoire’s respect for African Union institutions.

The Chairperson of the Commission urges the different Ivorian stakeholders to embrace the strong gesture of President Ouattara, in order to strengthen their country’s unity and overcome the legacy of the serious post-election crisis of 2010. In this undertaking, they can count on the support of the African Union, which was actively involved in the resolution of the crisis.

African Union