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29 June, 2007
Accra, Ghana 06/29 - The African Union (AU) Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) has maintained sanctions against six countries which failed to pay their membership contribution arrears by 14 June 2007, an official source disclosed here Thursday.
The decision was made after a review of the AU contribution sub-committee report on Wednesday, the source added.
The six- Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Mauritania, Sao Tome & Principe and Seychelles- were already on the list of countries under sanctions during the AU eighth summit last year January in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
At the same time, ten countries were listed among those under sanctions thus losing their right to vote.
But Central African Republic, Guinea and Guinea Bissau paid part of their outstanding contributions- US$1,460,284, US$818,410 and US$1,230,740 respectively, which helped get them off the sanctions` hook.
After securing the cancellation of its contributions until 2003, Liberia also paid all its arrears for 2004, 2005 and 2006 as well as for the year 2007.
Sierra Leone was exempted from the sanctions, while Burundi`s case was extended after the two countries secured a deal to gradually pay their contribution arrears.
As a post-conflict country, the DR Congo requested the reduction of its contribution arrears. The AU accounts puts DR Congo`s arrears at US$11 million.
Similarly, Cape Verde asked the PRC to spare it from the sanctions, offering to pay US$265,000 and to issue a timeframe within which to settle the arrears. Cape Verde further called for the participation of its president in the African Union Government debate.
The PRC has submitted the requests to the AU Executive Council (foreign ministers) meeting Thursday, the source added.