Security Council Press Statement on Somalia
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan):
On 24 January, the members of the Security Council were briefed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Michael Keating, and the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Francisco Madeira, on the situation in Somalia.
The members of the Security Council welcomed Somalia’s political commitment to security sector, economic and political reforms and the progress made to date. The members of the Security Council agreed that all parties should make 2018 a year of implementation. They discussed the importance of making progress on the political settlement in preparation for elections in 2020/2021. They welcomed the 5 November agreement between the Federal Government of Somalia and the federal member states on taking forward security and federalism, and urged the federal Government of Somalia to ensure high-level dialogue with federal member states to make progress on key issues including the constitutional review, elections, fiscal federalism, and power and resource sharing.
The members of the Security Council raised concern about ongoing instability in Somalia and urged all parties to resolve political differences through peaceful dialogue. They welcomed Somalia’s commitment, reaffirmed at the December 2017 security conference, to work with partners to develop a conditions-based transition plan with clear target dates. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the importance of accelerating implementation of the national security architecture and focusing on a gradual transfer of lead security responsibility from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to the Somali Government.
The members of the Security Council noted the importance of United Nations/African Union efforts to explore options available in order to establish future funding arrangements for AMISOM. They reiterated the importance of close consultation among the Federal Government of Somalia, the federal member states, the African Union and troop-contributing countries, the United Nations and international partners to ensure coordinated approaches to implementing conditions-based planning and financing. The members of the Security Council reiterated the urgency of this undertaking and the importance of a credible plan.
The members of the Council reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive approach to security in compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law and better coordination between international partners. They stressed the importance of the meaningful participation of women in all efforts towards the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.
The members of the Security Council expressed concern about the continued vulnerability of millions of people, notably children and the internally displaced, to extreme weather events, the ongoing risk of famine in Somalia and the need for generous support to the Humanitarian Response Plan. They welcomed the Drought Impact Needs Assessment and plans to invest in measures that will strengthen the resilience of the population.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The members of the Security Council paid particular tribute to the contribution of AMISOM. They also paid tribute to the efforts and contribution of the Somali national security forces, and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia.