The Chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, announced in an official statement Tuesday the appointment of the AU High-Level Panel "supporting a peaceful transition and restoration of constitutional order" in Egypt. Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of the Republic of Mali, chairs the panel, which also consists of Festus Gontebanye Mogae, former President of the Republic of Botswana; Dileita Mohamed Dileita, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Djibouti, and a group of experts as assistants. The panel, who is intending to travel to Egypt in the coming days, is assigned "to interact with the ruling authorities and other Egyptian stakeholders to establish a constructive political dialogue aimed at national reconciliation," read the statement, adding that it strove to preserve the gains of the January 25th Revolution and ensuring a democratic constitutional transition. The decision to establish the panel followed previous statements by Zuma on 3 and 4 July, and it was introduced to the Peace and Security Council (PSC) on 5 July, the day the AU decided to suspend Egypt's activities. The PSC welcomed the initiative aimed at building a consensus among Egypt's various stakeholders. The Peace and Security Council also approved the establishment of the International Consultative Forum (ICF-Egypt), which will "bring together Egypt and the relevant bilateral and multilateral partners, including the League of Arab States and the United Nations, to facilitate coordinated action in support of a transition," read the statement. Zuma called on the Egyptian people to refrain from violence or any acts that would jeopardise efforts aimed at national reconciliation and "consensual solution to the crisis." The AU suspended Egypt from all activities 5 July, after many governments deemed the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi a "military coup".
