Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at a UNSC briefing on Somalia
Madam President,
We welcome the participation in this meeting of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia, Mr. Ahmed Moallim Fiqi.
We thank Mr. James Swan, Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Mohamed El-Amine Souef, head of the African Peacekeeping Mission in that country, and Ms. Ilwad Elman for their statements and briefings.
We are closely following the development of the situation in the friendly country of the Federal Republic of Somalia. We support Mogadishu’s efforts aimed at stabilizing the situation in the country. We commend the constructive role the National Consultative Council plays in fostering cooperation between the central government and the federal states. We are pleased to see that in the course of the Council’s work, there were reached important agreements on cooperation in implementing key national priorities. These include preparing a plan for transferring responsibility for security in the country from the African Transition Mission to the Somali National Army, establishing an independent Commission to draft a federal constitution, as well as improving the electoral system.
We do hope that all participants to the political process will continue to strive toward establishing a sustainable model for a federal structure and normalizing the situation in the country.
We have taken note of Mogadishu’s plan, which was circulated in the Security Council, for the staged transfer of the functions of UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) to the federal bodies and the UN country team. We believe that it is the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia that should have the final say in determining the parameters of the Special Political Mission’s activities in the course of the agreed two-year period. We expect that the British “penholders” will take into account the position of the Somali side on this issue.
Madam President,
The conclusion of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia and the deployment of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) opens a new chapter in the history of pan-African efforts to rectify the situation in Somalia. We highly appreciate the consistent work by the African Union in that regard.
The most important thing now is to finally reach agreement in the remaining few months between Somalia, the African Union and the United Nations on all parameters for the continued presence of African peacekeepers within the framework of AUSSOM, including financial aspects. We believe that all tools at our disposal need to be activated to this end.
We consider the presence of African peacekeepers in Somalia to be one of the most important factors in containing terrorist threats, extremist and other unlawful activities; it is also a guarantee of consistent movement towards strengthening the statehood of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The main objective in the area of security today is for us the enhancement of the effectiveness of federal law enforcement, so that, upon completion of the AUSSOM mandate, they can act independently to ensure the protection of civilians and infrastructure throughout the country.
What remains the issue of our particular concern is the capabilities of Al-Shabaab. This terrorist group continues conducting large-scale attacks against Government facilities and units of Somali National Army, as well as against civilians and staff of international organizations. Thus, we strongly condemn the terrorist attacks of September 28 in Mogadishu and Middle Shabelle province, which killed six people and injured another 10.
The upcoming several months will be of decisive importance for dealing with the current situation in the Horn of Africa, where we can see some worrying developments. Stabilizing the situation there is a common denominator for all countries in the region whose stances for whatever reason can be currently divergent. What is of particular significance here is ensuring the coordinated work by the UN and AU presence in the country.
We support mediation efforts aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions among the countries of the subregion. We hope that they will act wisely taking due account of each other's interests when making difficult but responsible decisions.
Madam President,
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize our support for Somalia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity, and to express the hope that we will closely cooperate with the country's delegation during Somalia's upcoming membership of the UN Security Council in the upcoming two years.
Thank you for your attention.
