Statement delivered by H.E. Micheal Kanu, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the UN, on behalf of the A3+, at the Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Somalia
Madam President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+ namely, Algeria, Guyana, Mozambique and my country Sierra Leone.
We take note of the report of the Secretary General on the situation in Somalia, and the updates on the implementation of the mandates of UNSOM and UNSOS.
We thank acting SRSG Mr. James Swan, and Special Representative His Excellency Mr. Mohammed El-Amine Souef, for their insightful briefings, and we thank Ms. Ilwad Elman for her contribution.
We welcome the participation of His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Moallin Fiqi Ahmed, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia in this meeting. We also look forward to Somalia joining the A3+ in January next year.
The A3+ welcomes the constructive dialogue and engagement between the Federal Government of Somalia and the United Nations through the joint technical committee regarding the Somali request for a transition from a Special Political Mission to the United Nations Country Team.
We have taken note of the proposal from the Somali Government for the transition to take place over a two-year period, based on the discussions of the Joint Technical Committee. We look forward to engaging fellow Council members on the future of UNSOM, taking into account this proposal.
On the Political front, we are pleased with the developments towards the democratization of Somalia, including the commitment to institute measures by the Federal Government of Somalia on the constitutional review process which is central to the state-building process. The transition to universal voting rights, that is One-Person, One-vote, underscores the commitment of the Somali authorities to enhancing democratic participation especially for Women and youth.
We further encourage the Somali authorities to prioritize the minimum 30 percent quota representation for women in elective and senior government appointments.
We encourage the relevant stakeholders and parties to collectively complete the revision of the provisional constitution through a consensus-based approach in consultation and engagement with the relevant stakeholders,
The A3+ also encourages the Federal Government of Somalia to prioritize engagement with the state authorities as part of the strengthening of the federal system. In this regard, we take note of the positive overtures by the Puntland authorities on direct dialogue with the Federal Government on a number of important issues.
The A3+ further welcomes the efforts deployed by the Federal Government of Somalia to promote inclusion in the governance structures following the passing of the National Disability Bill. The A3+ looks forward to the passing of this text in the Upper House.
On the Security situation, the A3+ commends the Federal Government of Somalia on the consolidation of the security gains realized by the Somalia Security Forces, through its offensive against Al-Shabaab with the support of ATMIS. We urge continued efforts to ultimately destroy the group’s capabilities and the opportunistic attacks that it continues to carry out.
Despite the gains made, Al-Shabaab remains a present threat. The group maintains it ability to carry out deadly attacks, which have endangered the lives of the Somali people.
We wish to pay tribute to the Somali Security Forces and ATMIS personnel for their heavy sacrifices to protect the people of Somalia from the terrorist threat pose by Al-Shabaab.
We are pleased with the collaborative work of the African Union, Federal Government of Somalia, ATMIS and UNSOS on the ATMIS transition, noting the progress on the security transition of forward operating bases to the Somalia Security Forces.
The A3+ welcomes the African Union’s adoption of the concept of operations for the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM) in Somalia, and looks forward to the update from the Secretary-General next week on the progress of work on the mission design, including financing options in accordance with SCR 2748.
On this latter point, we stress the importance of predictable and sustainable financing for the new Mission and encourage all stakeholders to commit to building on the peace gains in Somalia thus far, including through their tangible support for the new mission.
On the economic situation, the A3+ commends the Federal Government of Somalia for ten years of significant achievements, including in domestic revenue mobilization, public financial management and good governance. The approval of the income tax bill is also very commendable. We stress that strengthening the security environment is critical for preserving and building on these achievements.
Nevertheless, we are concerned that the humanitarian situation in Somalia remains dire due to recurrent and intensifying climate shocks, conflicts, and disease outbreaks. These conditions have led to water scarcity, diminished crop yields, displacement and the proliferation of diseases. We are also concerned about the level of internal displacement and the state of food insecurity. In this regard, we call on development and other partners to scale up funding on the humanitarian response plan which is only 37.1% funded at the moment.
In conclusion Madam President, the A3+ would like to express its appreciation to the African Union, UNSOM, UNSOS, the European Union and all regional and international partners for their collaborative efforts in supporting Somalia in its peacebuilding journey.
I thank you.
