PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT ON SOMALIA
The Security Council welcomes the political and security
progress in Somalia since 2012, and underscores the need to maintain the
momentum towards democratic governance in Somalia. The Security Council commends
the increased participation and representation of the people of Somalia in the
electoral process. The Council emphasises the importance of governing in
a spirit of national unity in an inclusive manner and of adhering to the
political road map in order to reach one-person, one-vote elections in four
years time.
The Security Council commends the role of the United
Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in enabling the electoral process
in close cooperation with the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) and other international partners. The Security Council
pays tribute to the contribution of the African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM) to lasting peace and stability in Somalia, noting in particular AMISOM’s
critical role in ensuring the provision of security for the electoral process,
which along with the Somali security forces, enabled voting to take place
across the country.
The Security Council strongly condemns recent Al-Shabaab
attacks that attempted to disrupt the political process in Somalia and pays
tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of AMISOM and the Somali security forces
for their efforts in reducing the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.
The Security Council welcomes the increased representation
of women in the Upper House and the House of the People and underlines the
important contribution of women to Somalia’s peacebuilding and State building
process.
The Security Council underscores the importance of the
timely and transparent appointment of Ministers and Cabinet positions in
consultation with the Somali Parliament. The
Council calls on the Parliament and all Federal and State leaders to cooperate
fully with the Federal Government of Somalia in driving forward reform and
addressing immediate priorities without delay.
The Security Council calls on President Farmajo and his
government give urgent attention to the immediate risk of famine, to take
active steps to prevent it, and to address the consequences of the severe
drought in Somalia. The Council appeals to donors to increase support to
the Humanitarian Response Plan for Somalia and to support the appeals for aid
by Somali Federal and Regional authorities’. The Council reiterates the
need for full, safe and unhindered access for the timely delivery of aid to
persons in need across Somalia.
The Security Council emphasises the need to accelerate
agreement between the federal and regional authorities on a Somali federal
security sector architecture, which clearly defines the roles, responsibilities
and structures of relevant security sector institutions under full Somali
ownership as an immediate priority. The Council stresses the importance
of the Federal Government of Somalia enhancing and strengthening efforts to
strengthen Somalia’s security capabilities in order to move towards the
eventual handover of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali
security services. In this regard, the Council encourages UNSOM to
continue to undertake a Comprehensive Approach to Security in close coordination
with the Somali authorities, AMISOM and international partners.
The Security Council underlines the importance of good
faith cooperation between federal and regional authorities in Somalia in order to accelerate Somalia’s peacebuilding
and State-building process, and calls on the international community and
Somalia's partners to step up their support to efforts to build and strengthen
Somalia’s national institutions, governance structures and socio-economic
infrastructure.
The Security Council underlines the need to ensure progress
in the Somali-led constitutional review process. The Council encourages
the Federal Government of Somalia to promote a comprehensive reconciliation
process that brings about local, regional, and national cohesion and integration
in a climate of respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to
establish an effective federal political system. The Council
further encourages President Farmajo, the Federal and Regional authorities to
reiterate Somalia’s commitment to increase transparency and accountability of
public financial management, including to advance security sector reform.
The Security Council urges the new Federal Administration
to take active steps to lay the foundations for inclusive and transparent
elections in four years time, including by ensuring that public office in
Somalia cannot be achieved through harassment, intimidation, corruption or
manipulation.
The Security Council reaffirms its respect for the
sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia.
The
Security Council recognizes that the coming months will be an important period
for Somalia. The Council will continue to follow progress closely, and
reaffirms its support for peace, stability and development in Somalia.
