EN Official Journal of the European Union L 106/65

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2007/245/CFSP

of 23 April 2007

amending Joint Action 2005/557/CFSP on the European Union civilian-military supporting action to the African Union mission in the Darfur region of Sudan with regard to the inclusion of a military support element providing assistance to the setting up of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Council on 18 July 2005 adopted Joint Action 2005/557/CFSP on the European Union civilian-military supporting action to the African Union mission in the Darfur region of Sudan (1).

(2) On 19 January 2007, the African Union Peace and Security Council stated its intentions to deploy for a period of six months a mission to Somalia (AMISOM), aimed essentially at contributing to the initial stabilisation phase in Somalia.

(3) On 20 February 2007, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1744 (2007) authorising Member States of the African Union to establish for a period of six months a mission in Somalia and urging UN Member States to provide personnel, equipment and services if required, for the successful deployment of AMISOM.

(4) On 7 March 2007, the African Union submitted a request to the European Union for expertise to on a temporary basis assist the AMISOM military planning cell situated at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

(5) On 20 March 2007, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) agreed to respond positively to the request of the African Union and to conduct the AMISOM support within the framework of the EU Supporting Action to the African Union Mission in the Darfur region of Sudan (AMIS).

(6) By letter of 29 March 2007, the SG/HR informed the AU that EU would be ready to provide planning experts on a temporary basis and requested that EU personnel working for AMISOM be covered by the General Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the OAU.

(7) Joint Action 2005/557/CFSP should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Joint Action 2005/557/CFSP is hereby amended as follows:

1. The title shall be replaced by the following:

2. Article 1 shall be replaced by the following: ‘Article 1 The European Union hereby establishes an EU civilian-military supporting action to AMIS II, with an additional military support element to AMISOM, hereby named “AMIS/AMISOM EU Supporting Action”. The main objective of the EU supporting action is to ensure effective and timely EU assistance to support the AMIS II enhancement and in addition to support the setting up of AMISOM. The EU shall respect and support the principle of African ownership and the EU supporting action shall be to support the AU and its political, military and police efforts to address the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and in Somalia. The EU supporting action shall include a civilian and military component.’

3. In articles 3(1), 4(1), 5(2), 10 and 11(1)(a) ‘AMIS II’ shall be replaced by ‘AMIS II and AMISOM’.

4. Article 5(1) shall be replaced by the following: ‘1. The SG/HR shall take all necessary measures to ensure coordination of EU activities to support AMIS II enhancement and AMISOM and the coordination between the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) and the EU Coordination Cell in Addis Ababa (ACC). The GSC shall provide guidance and support to the ACC in its duties of managing the day-to-day coordination to ensure coherent and timely EU support to AMIS II across its political, military, police and other civilian supporting actions as well as to the setting up of AMISOM. The GSC shall provide situation reports and updates and assessment of both EU support to AMIS II, the AMIS II enhancement and AMISOM to the relevant Council bodies and ensure coordination at the strategic level with other donors, in particular the UN and NATO.’

5. In Article 9, the following paragraph shall be inserted: ‘1a. The military support element to the AMISOM planning shall mainly assist the strategic planning cell in the planning of the AU mission, including the drafting of the AMISOM deployment plan.’

Article 2

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Article 3

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Luxembourg, 23 April 2007. For the Council The President F.-W. STEINMEIER

(1) OJ L 188, 20.7.2005, p. 46.