Press Conference on Somalia by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs

Fragile optimism for slow, but steady, progress in Somalia demonstrated that a Security Council strategy for increasing security and stability in the region would continue to unfold over the coming months, B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs told reporters today during a Headquarters press conference.

“No one wants to be overly optimistic, but the fact is that the strategy is in place,” said Mr. Pascoe, just back from his recent mission to eastern and southern Africa.  Also present at the press conference was Charles Petrie, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia.

“Overall, there is a sense, as the Security Council said three weeks ago, that we’ve got a strategy and we need to implement it,” Mr. Pascoe continued, adding that there was a sense on the ground that the implementation was actually moving forward.  “I’m not here to announce any huge or great successes, but you can really see the direction we’re heading.”

Given that more than half the country’s population was under age 18 and knew only chaos in a country that had had no functioning central Government for nearly two decades, the Council’s strategy and ongoing international efforts must succeed.  Although his mission had taken him to South Africa, Angola, Burundi and Kenya, Mr. Pascoe had been unable to land in Somalia.  He had, however, attended a high-level meeting in Nairobi on Somalia, which examined the ongoing efforts under the auspices of the United Nations.

Part of the reason for the present cautious optimism was the efforts of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which was going out of its way to be inclusive with most oppositional groups joining discussions.  Two main armed groups, Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, had been fighting, he added.

The situation on the ground was hopeful, he said.  The forces of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), comprising troops from Burundi and Uganda, had each established three battalions for a total of 5,200 troops, with each contributing country expressing the view that an additional battalion could be added, he said.  What had been called a “fragile” situation a few months ago when predictions saw a Government that would fall, could not be said today, Mr. Pascoe said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that there were serious threats, and it would take a long time to move the process forward.  Yet, the Djibouti process was indeed moving ahead.  The challenge now was if the Transitional Federal Government could act as a Government, even though funding and security posed problems.  The Transitional Federal Government had operated in a transparent fashion, as Somalia had a reputation of disappearing aid funding, and the Government had engaged Pricewaterhouse to make sure this did not happen.

Regarding security, the Government was relying on AMISOM forces, which had received support from the Department of Field Support.  Forces were getting fed and were supplied with logistics essentials at a level they would arrive in a United Nations peacekeeping operation, which had boosted confidence among troops, he said.  Police and military training had also begun.

Funding remained a challenge, with a European Union and Africa Union agreement almost being completed to fund AMISOM forces, and the United Nations Political Office in Somalia (UNPOS) Trust Fund, which he hoped would be close to agreement on assistance to Somali forces.

He anticipated requests for further funding for security, but also for social services the Government needed to provide.  “One of the difficulties in Somalia is that without real development aid it’s very hard for the Government to show what it’s doing,” he said.

Responding to a question inquiring about civilian backlashes to a recent report that AMISOM forces had fired into a marketplace, Mr. Pascoe said he had heard the opposite, with Government reports stating that Al-Shabaab rebels had been shooting in areas, and then blaming AMISOM.  There was no doubt there had been a back and forth after that, when they tried to fire on the President’s plane, he said.  The clear resolution over time would be to increase the perimeter of Government and AMISOM patrol to ensure rockets or mortars were not fired as planes took off and landed.

Asked whether a United Nations “green zone” would be established, he said there was a need to be able to operate in the country, and a “green zone” was a graphic way of saying that.  There were plans of moving permanent facilities over the coming months.

Regarding reactions of neighbouring countries to transforming AMISOM into a United Nations peacekeeping force, Mr. Pascoe acknowledged “some ambivalence”, with the African Union wanting to do as much as it could itself, and the nearby countries feeling they would like to do more.  He was working with subregional and regional groups, and noted that, while people may have once seen their troops as beleaguered in Somalia, now the troops were seen as ready to solve a problem.

On questions about future security forces, he said talking with people on the ground had resulted in proof that the model for Somalia seemed to be moving forward, with volunteers coming from Burundi and Uganda.  It was usually political will that was behind questions of volunteering troops.

When asked about the impact of reported threats that Al-Shabaab would target Burundi and Uganda, Mr. Pascoe said the troops were there because of security threats on their own countries.  “Threats and statements were just threats and statements,” he said.  “It is important that the TFG is strengthened and that there is a Government in Somalia to work with.”

Responding to a question about reports that the United States Government was withholding $50 million in food aid pending security issues, Mr. Petrie replied that the United States was looking at all its aid earmarked for Somalia, and discussions were under way on ensuring that assistance provided reached the people.  The context was complex, he said.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record