SC/10792
Security Council
6848th Meeting (AM)
Briefing Council, Special Representative for Somalia Highlights Political, Security Gains; Speakers Say ‘No Amount of Support Can Replace Somali Leadership’
With Somalia’s nine-year transition complete, upholding its “remarkable” progress, new President, leaner Parliament and calmer security landscape required, now more than ever, urgent and sustained support to ensure further successes following two decades of conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General told the Security Council this morning via a video link from Mogadishu.
“The changes [in the country] have met the expectations of most Somalis and have raised higher expectations for more,” said Augustine Mahiga, who also heads the United Nations Political Office for Somalia. Briefing the Council on recent developments in the Somali peace process, he highlighted last month’s presidential election — the first to be held inside Somalia in decades — and the liberation of extremist-held towns throughout the country.
He said that hope now hinged on consolidating the milestones reached along the transition Road Map towards peace and stability, including the new Parliament, containing a higher number of graduates, including women, than any previous such body in the country, and a “vastly improved” security situation marked by the weakening of extremist Al-Shabaab insurgents, particularly in the wake of the fall of Kismayo, seen as the group’s “last stronghold”, in late September.
The new Administration in Mogadishu must now “move with speed” to stabilize the newly liberated areas, he said, emphasizing that the Government’s immediate challenges encompassed establishing district administrations, justice and the rule of law and providing basic services to the people. “The Somali authorities now urgently need assistance to meet the new challenges in the various sectors to help them own and lead the process in the post-transition period.” Continued security funding was also needed for sustained initiatives and for training Somali national forces, who would eventually take over the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), he added.
Somalia’s representative, Elmi Ahmed Duale, agreed, saying that “now there is a light at the end of the tunnel”, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s Six Pillar Policy that aimed to secure progress in the areas of stability, economic recovery, peacebuilding, service delivery, international relations and unity, laying the foundations of “a new beginning”.
“The road map has been completed,” he told the Council. “It is now very clear that the new federal Government urgently needs tangible concerted, well-coordinated support from the Security Council, all United Nations bodies and the international community to enable and empower the new Government in implementing and achieving the end goals of the [President’s Policy].”
After the briefing, Council members took the floor, with many applauding the recent Somali successes and voicing concerns, among them the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country that had displaced more than 1 million people and left 2 million others without access to food or other basic necessities.
The United States’ representative, noting that the promising achievements had transformed what was once pervasive despair into cautious optimism, summed up the general sentiment. “The completion of the transition was a real success, inspiring hope among Somalis for the first time in many years,” she said. “Now is the time to consider how the world can support Somalia in its post-transition phase.”
Many speakers voiced their support for continued funding and for addressing the humanitarian crisis. France’s representative emphasized that new gains must not come undone and new donors were needed to provide continued funding for critical initiatives. Among those essential areas, South Africa’s representative pointed to strengthening institutions as a means to ensuring lasting peace. Looking back on recent progress, he said Somalia’s achievements had shown what was possible on the continent through cooperation between international, regional and national efforts. Yet he added that “no amount of support can replace Somali leadership”.
Portugal’s representative maintained that “the same degree of commitment, integrity and endurance we have witnessed throughout these months is now needed from the Somali authorities to respond to the demanding challenges this new chapter encompasses: to have a secure and stable country, ready for elections under universal suffrage in four years’ time”.
Also speaking this morning was the Minister of State for External Affairs of India.
The Council was also addressed by representatives of the United Kingdom, Togo, Morocco, Colombia, Russian Federation, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, China, Guatemala, Japan, Turkey, Italy, Finland, Spain and Ethiopia.
The head of the Delegation of the European Union also delivered a statement.
The meeting began at 10:20 a.m. and ended at 1:07 p.m.
