A3+ statement delivered by H.E. Pedro Comissário, Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations, at the Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Somalia
Mr. President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3 plus namely, Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone and my own country Mozambique.
We thank the excellent briefs by Mr. James Swan, Acting Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia and Mr. Mohamed El-Amine Souef, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia comprehensive briefings.
We welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Somalia in this meeting. The A3+ wishes to seize this occasion to convey through you, Excellency, our heartfelt congratulations to the people and Government of Somalia for the brilliant election as a Non-Permanent Seat in the Security Council for the term 2025-2026. We have no doubt that Somalia will bring a positive and constructive contribution to the Council and the A3+.
Mr. President,
We are pleased with the reform measures implemented by the GFRS on the constitutional review process. These measures are central to the state-building process. The transition to a universal voting rights model, expressed through One-Person, One-vote, underscores the commitment of the Somali authorities to enhancing democratic participation especially for Women and youth. These measures represent a significant milestone in Somalia's democratic evolution.
We encourage the relevant stakeholders to engage, constructively, in a spirit of compromise, in finding consensus to resolve their differences, and to finalize the process and the electoral framework in order to address all pertinent concerns. We urge the international community to continue supporting this process so as to ensure its successful and timely completion.
Mr. President,
We note that unresolved issues remain. We are of the view that a broad consensus will be needed for the adoption of any needed constitutional amendment by the Somali Federal Parliament and approval by the Somali people in a referendum.
On the relations between the Government of Somalia and the Federal member States, we echo the words of the Secretary-General in “Calling all parties to engage in a constructive dialogue to seek compromise to resolve their differences and to restore consensus on key national priorities.
In addition, while we commend the concerted efforts and commitment of the GFRS to appoint women in senior government positions. We note, in that connection, that women’s political participation and representation remains a challenge. We call on the authorities to prioritize and implement the 30 per cent quota for women to enhance women political participation in decision-making processes.
We appeal for enhanced efforts to address the humanitarian situation in Somalia, exacerbated by ongoing conflict and climatic events. The international community must scale up its humanitarian assistance to address acute needs and support long-term resilience. In this regard, we stress the importance of a multidimensional approach to the situation in Somalia that addresses every aspect of the humanitarian crisis.
The support provided by the UN to the Somali authorities has been of paramount importance and deserves to be commended. The request made by the FGS concerning the future of UNSOM needs to be taken into account during our deliberations on this matter.
Mr. President,
On the Security situation, the A3+ commends the government of Somalia for the progress made in the implementation of its Security Sector Plan and the consolidation of the security gains realized by the Somalia security forces, through its offensive against Al-Shabaab. Continued logistical, financial, and training support is essential to ensure that the SSF can maintain and build upon the gains achieved.
We look forward to the completion of phase 3 of ATMIS Drawdown bringing the total of withdrawn troops to 7000. We welcome, in this regard, the handover of numerous Forward operating bases (FOBs) to the SSF as mentioned by the SRCC Souef in his briefing.
The A3+ looks forward to engaging with the Council regarding the post-ATMIS transition and to taking decisions that will advance the stability and security of Somalia. This is critical for the security of both Somalia and the wider region. We therefore urge the Council to seriously consider an approach to the remaining phases of the ATMIS drawdown that will safeguard against security compromises.
In this vein, while mentioning the endorsement by the AU PSC of the request of the FGS for a staggered Phase 3 of the Drawdown, we echo the request made by the same AU organ for the AU Commission to consider, in collaboration with involved partners, mobilizing the necessary resources to cover the cost of the delayed drawdown of 2000 troops.
Mr. President,
As we engage towards the final phase of ATMIS withdrawal plan, the transition to the post-ATMIS operation has to be carefully undertaken to avoid the creation of security gaps.
With regard to the financing of this AU led operation as endorsed by the AU PSC, we look forward to receiving the options to be developed through consultations between the AU Commission and the UN Secretariat.
We stress, in this regard, that the financing of the Post-ATMIS operation be based on a realistic, balanced and consultative approach that takes into consideration the hard won security gains made by AMISOM and ATMIS with heavy sacrifices during the last 17 years as well as the financial capabilities of all actors.
It is essential for the AU, IGAD, the European Union and the UN to maintain their support to the implementation of the government’s security sector development plan.
In conclusion Mr. President, the A3+ would like to express its thanks and appreciation to the African Union, UNSOM, UNSOS and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes for their collaborative efforts in Somalia.
I thank you!
