the assassination, after many long months in captivity, of a French hostage and

reaffirmed his concern over the resurgence of the scourge of terrorism in the Sahel-

Saharan region. He expressed his sincere condolences to the victim's family, as well as

the French Government and people. He reiterated the legitimacy of anti-terrorist

initiatives by the countries of the region with a view to strengthening the effectiveness of

their individual and collective action.

The Chairperson of the Commission reiterated the AU's strong condemnation of all

forms of terrorism, and reaffirmed the imperative need for vigorous and sustained action

to combat this scourge.

He once again underscored the need for all African States, in partnership with the rest

of the international community, to redouble efforts to cope with this threat. In this

regard, he recalled that the relevant AU instruments provide an appropriate framework

for increased cooperation between Member States. He further recalled that the

decisions of the AU prohibit the payment of ransom in hostage taking situations, and

more generally, touched on the need for effective measures in order to deprive terrorists

of their sources of funding.

Source: African Union Commission (AUC)