PRESS BRIEFING BY REPRESENTATIVE OF SECRETARY-GENERAL AND DIRECTOR OF UN POLITICAL OFFICE FOR SOMALIA

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING BY REPRESENTATIVE OF SECRETARY-GENERAL AND DIRECTOR OF UN POLITICAL OFFICE FOR SOMALIA

There had been a consensus among Horn of Africa countries and some Security Council members that the time had come to do more about Somalia, David Stephen, the Secretary-General's Representative and Director of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), said at a Headquarter’s press briefing this afternoon. The feeling that the country had been forgotten by the international community had been corrected and things were moving inside Somalia at last.

Mr. Stephen said that the Secretary-General's 16 August report on Somalia -- the first in two years -- highlighted the international community's concerns about the country's lack of an internationally recognized government or State. The Somali people were concerned about the absence of leadership and representation in international bodies. Recent months had seen concerns about the effects of the war between neighbouring Ethiopia and Eritrea, with allegations that both sides were arming different factions inside Somalia.

He said that since the international community's withdrawal and that of the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM II) in 1995, the emphasis had shifted to regional organizations in the search for peace in Somalia. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) had given that mandate to Ethiopia. The Authority's Presidency, held by Djibouti, was also active on Somalia. The role of the United Nations had been to support and assist the regional actors and to bring in actors outside the region, including Egypt and Yemen, which had traditionally had very close relations with Somalia.

In addition to that regional structure, there was a mechanism of ambassadorial meetings held in New York every three or four months, he said. One such meeting had been held yesterday. There was also a Standing Committee on Somalia, grouping the region and other countries, which would meet in Addis Ababa on 29 September. The IGAD Partners Forum, a donor group chaired by Italy and Norway, would meet in Rome in early October to give donors and other countries an opportunity to come on board.

What specific proposals had been discussed at yesterday's meeting? a correspondent asked.

Stephen Briefing - 2 - 2 September 1999

Mr. Stephen replied that there had been a debate about the way forward. There had been 12 failed initiatives on Somalia since 1991, sponsored both by the United Nations and by regional countries. One of the criticisms of those initiatives was that they had all been top-down approaches. Most countries and actors were now agreed that a future process should be much more closely tied to the Somali society. There was a lively debate about the extent to which Somali regional and clan leaders should come together and the extent to which there should be an attempt to achieve a national structure.

He said that the building-block approach favoured by Ethiopia, whereby the leaders of the regions at peace would eventually come together, would have to be merged with the top- down approach espoused by Egypt, which put greater emphasis on the need for a strong central government. The Djibouti proposal was for an interim council to be recognized as a government that would organize elections and restore a government structure. There would be a bicameral chamber consisting of traditional elders on the one hand and regional leaders on the other.

Was there agreement among the donor countries about where the first building block would be laid? another journalist asked.

Mr. Stephen replied that the policy of regional governments led by Ethiopia was that there should be a peace dividend. The regions of Somaliland in the north and Puntland in the north-east were at peace, although they were not recognized. Donors, nevertheless, were already beginning to find ways of assisting them, mainly through non-governmental organizations.

On the other hand, the Somalis felt there should be more of a peace dividend, he said. Donors had often burned their fingers in Somalia owing to the lack of governmental authority. When there was a national and international consensus on the way forward, it was hoped that donors would show flexibility by going in before a government was formed so that the rewards of political dialogue could be seen.

He said there had also been a feeling at yesterday's meeting of the need to prevent a repeat of the international community's empowerment of Somalia's warlords and to build up the forces of civil society.

What was the Security Council's position vis-à-vis the various proposals? a third correspondent asked.

Mr. Stephen said the Council had not formally taken a position. There had been no record at yesterday's informal meeting, which had been more like a brainstorming session.

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