The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) Ministerial meeting on Monday (July 29) extended the mandate of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) on Sudan and South Sudan, headed by South Africa's former president Thabo Mbeki.

The Ministerial meeting extended AUHIP's mandate until January after Mr Mbeki had presented the panel's "final" report, surveying its work from October 2009. The recent deterioration in relations between Sudan and South Sudan made it clear the panel's mandate needed to be extended. The current chairperson of the Peace and Security Council, Cameroon's Minister of External Relations, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo said:

"We are encouraging both heads of state to meet as soon as possible in order to find a lasting solution to find a way out of the impasse that seems to prevail especially on this issue of blocking of oil pipelines and the issue of Abyei and the preparation of the referendum there. We are really, really, urging the two heads of state to accept once again to meet to find a solution." The meeting also discussed the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis, and the Africa Standby Force (ASF).