If not now, then when? If the Council does not act, then who will?†asked Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, today as he called on the international community to take immediate action to stabilize the situation in that country.
In a briefing to the Council, he said that, while Somalia was, indeed, a difficult case, challenges should not be a reason for inaction. As the Council considered Somalia for the second time in a month, the Transitional Federal Government was repelling multiple attempts to overthrow, while trying to overcome two decades of international scepticism. Today, the country was at a turning point. It was clear that its people and leaders rejected violence and those behind it. The support of the international community was, therefore, even more crucial, he emphasized.
Among concrete steps the Council could take, he said, were measures to provide immediate political and financial support to the Government; support the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM); and provide backing for the decisions taken by the subregional Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the African Union. Owing to their proximity, knowledge, and interest in Somalia, IGAD member States should be recognized as having a leading role on Somali issues.
He stressed that the temporary United Nations presence in Nairobi had lasted far too long. “We can only work effectively for peace with the Somalis and address pressing humanitarian needs if we are close to the victims of famine, violence and different abuses,†he added. The United Nations Political Office in Somalia (UNPOS) and other leading entities of the Organization, as well as humanitarian groups, concerned diplomats and non-governmental organizations, should move to Mogadishu, the Somali capital. The establishment of a Green Zone, similar to those established elsewhere, would facilitate that process.
Also briefing the Council was Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, who added three key ideas on which bold and innovative measures should be based. First, the conflict should not be reduced to “a simple civil warâ€; it was the cause of wider regional instability and a source of insecurity on the largest scale. Secondly, the type of armed violence that had emerged since May 12 was aimed at making the country a lasting trouble spot. Somalia was being turned into a place that supported extremist practices that could endanger the wider region and the world. And third, the President and forces allied to him were acting in defense of Somalia and any contribution to AMISOM’s work should be viewed as part and parcel of the resistance to a global menace.
He said the African Union was working to develop a new partnership that would herald a qualitative step in the design of a peacekeeping operation. Its form and composition were to be determined by “imperative goals,†with one battalion from Burundi and Algerian air assets, supported by a United Nations logistics support module. Conditions were being put in place to enable the United Nations to assume a large share of responsibility in the country, which was “incumbent on it naturally.†Indeed, upgrading the effectiveness of regional and international institutions in Somalia would be a timely step in the right direction.
The Council also heard a statement by Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar, who emphasized his Government’s political commitment to peace and reconciliation, pointing out that, in the end, Somalia’s problems must be solved by Somalis themselves. The Government was ready to incorporate into the Djibouti process any party agreeing to the re-establishment of the rule of law, and to sit at the negotiating table so as to determine the way forward. The proof of that was the Government’s recent agreement with an opposition group, Ahlu Sunna-wa Al Jamma. Similar efforts were going on within the country and in the diaspora.
Describing his country as a key factor for stability in the Horn of Africa, he also stressed the need to view Somalia within subregional context. The partnership with the international community must succeed, because its impact went far and wide beyond Somalia’s borders. Piracy was the proof of that, he said, requesting the Council’s support in that regard. Somalis could achieve peace and reconciliation if they could overcome external interference and the vested external interests wishing to sustain the conflict. The Government could ensure peace and reconciliation among Somalis, if given the opportunity to “close that external door.â€
Taking the floor after the briefings, Members of the Council listed, among the priorities for Somalia, tackling the humanitarian crisis; supporting the political process; improving the security situation by working with AMISOM and the Transitional Federal Government; and ending off-shore piracy.
Several speakers also urged assistance to African States willing to provide troops for AMISOM, so that it could reach its full strength, and commended Uganda and Burundi for their contribution to the Mission. Some also expressed hope for accelerated efforts to transform the African Union Mission into a United Nations operation.
The representative of the Russian Federation said, however, that it was difficult to talk realistically about expanding the United Nations presence in Somalia. Though States must strive towards that goal, a more important challenge was ensuring that the environment was secure. Sustainable peace based on the Djibouti Agreement was the only way forward, and broad support by neighboring countries was an important foundation for long-term recovery. Countries in the region should provide assistance in barring foreign mercenaries from bringing weapons and ammunition into Somalia. To further bolster security, AMISOM should be fully staffed and adequately equipped.
Expressing concern about the worsening humanitarian situation, in which 200,000 people had returned to Mogadishu only to be displaced again, the representative of the United States said the delivery of food and humanitarian assistance was challenging and sometimes impossible. He condemned violence against humanitarian personnel, particularly the looting of a United Nations compound where vaccines and nutritional supplements for women and children had been stored. The United States was addressing the humanitarian situation by contributing $149 million worth of food and non-food assistance since the start of the fiscal year, and urged other Member States to contribute to the Consolidated Appeal for Somalia, which was only 40 per cent funded.
Source: examiner
