Explanation of Vote by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia on AUSSOM Mandate Renewal
Madam President,
The Russian Federation supported the draft UNSC resolution on the activities of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
We are convinced that the presence of AU peacekeepers in Somalia is still needed. They perform their duties in good faith, curbing extremist activities in the Horn of Africa and protecting civilians from the threat posed by Al-Shabaab. We are grateful to the leadership and peacekeepers of AUSSOM for their service and we pay tribute to those who gave their lives for the cause of stabilizing Somalia.
While working on the draft resolution, we made every effort to ensure that AUSSOM receives adequate resources despite the current severe liquidity crisis at the UN. The most important thing here is that AUSSOM will continue its important work of providing logistical and other assistance to peacekeepers operating in Africa.
We align ourselves with A3 Plus asserting that the resolution should remain its focus on security issues and support for AUSSOM. Such matters as Somalia's domestic policy, and the activities of the Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) alongside the reports by the UN Secretary-General on this matter are of secondary importance and cannot be deemed as sine qua non for the UN Security Council to authorize the work of peacekeepers in Somalia. Resolution 2748, adopted last August, on the renewal of the mandate of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), is clear proof of the above. We believe that it is imperative to take into account the views of the countries in the region, primarily Somalia, which are fully cognizant of the situation on the ground.
Against this backdrop, we are perplexed by the attempts of certain delegations to expand the scope of the UN Secretary-General's reporting on Somalia and link the activities of AUSSOM to the work of UNTMIS, while referring to the amount of funding allocated for them. We assume that voluntary financial assistance is supposed to be provided on a non-reimbursable basis and it should not be politically motivated.
Russia, for its part, is ready to engage with African delegations within the UN Security Council and at other platforms on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum has just concluded in Cairo. This was the first time that the meeting of foreign ministers was held on the African continent, which attests to both our commitment to friendly and mutually beneficial relations and the existence of shared goals with our African partners. Russia and Africa are natural allies in democratizing international relations on the basis of the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety, comprehensiveness, and interconnection.
Thank you.
