Catriona Laing, who additionally heads the UN Help Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), briefed ambassadors on developments throughout eight areas, together with politics, safety, ladies’s political participation, and humanitarian affairs.
She expressed the UN’s “unwavering help in the direction of the state-building agenda” in Somalia, underscoring that the Council’s help is central to the nation’s success.
“By way of our collective help, Somalia is demonstrating {that a} nation can emerge from extended battle to 1 that delivers for its individuals and acts as a drive for good within the area,” she stated.
Strong progress
UNSOM works with the Federal Authorities of Somalia and federal member states to help nationwide reconciliation and supply strategic and coverage recommendation on points equivalent to peacebuilding and state-building, amongst different mandated duties.
An African Union (AU) drive within the nation, ATMIS, is within the means of drawing down. Somalia has requested a smaller AU mission, targeted on safety, in addition to UN logistics help to strengthen nationwide methods and capability.
Ms. Laing reported that the Federal Authorities has made strong progress in current months in implementing its priorities. A few of these “very important achievements” included finishing a essential safety roadmap, becoming a member of regional bloc the East African Group, and securing the lifting of a Security Council arms embargo.
‘Tragic occasions’
Nonetheless, 2024 received off to a difficult begin for the “UN household” in Somalia, which continues to work to safe the secure return of personnel aboard a UN helicopter that was reportedly seized by Al-Shabaab militants on 10 January.
The next day, a member of a UN Guard Power Unit was killed in an Al-Shabaab oblique fireplace assault on the UN compound within the capital, Mogadishu.
“Regardless of these tragic occasions, our focus stays on supporting Somalia with its rightly bold agenda over the yr forward,” she assured the Council.
Keep momentum, attain consensus
On the political entrance, Ms. Laing reported {that a} proposed new electoral mannequin in Somalia continues to be intensely debated. Broad public help for the transition to one-person, one-vote elections has additionally include the belief that proposed timelines are too bold.
The UN is working with the authorities to develop a sensible plan that may guarantee momentum in the direction of one-person, one-vote is maintained. The worldwide physique has additionally welcomed Parliament’s approval of the procedural guidelines for constitutional modifications.
“It’s now pressing to achieve an inclusive consensus on the electoral framework. And on the structure, we encourage all events to have interaction within the spirit of compromise to finalize the method,” she stated.
“With out an agreed structure, Somalia stays susceptible to perennial crises with no agreed guidelines of the sport to allow decision.”
Controversial deal
Turning to regional developments, Ms. Laing knowledgeable the Council concerning the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) introduced final month by Ethiopia and “Somaliland”, the breakaway area within the north. The deal reportedly grants Ethiopia a 50-year lease on 20 kilometres of shoreline in alternate for sure political and financial advantages.
Though the total particulars are usually not accessible, public pronouncements concerning the MOU have generated robust hostile reactions, she stated. Moreover, terrorist group Al-Shabaab have been exploiting the state of affairs as a device for recruitment – a worrying growth.
“We recognise that the robust emotions in Somalia are placing strain on the Authorities to reply, and we encourage the President to stay measured in his response,” Ms. Laing stated.
“I echo the phrases of the Secretary-Common who has recalled that the Safety Council has repeatedly affirmed its respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Somalia, and referred to as for all events to have interaction in peaceable and constructive dialogue and to chorus from inflammatory phrases or actions that would additional escalate tensions.”
Combating Al-Shabaab
In the meantime, countering Al-Shabaab stays a prime Authorities precedence, and the authorities at the moment are getting ready to renew large-scale operations following heavy rains and flooding which hampered exercise in the direction of the top of final yr.
There have been constructive developments on stabilization in newly recovered areas, specifically in rule of legislation, governance, reconciliation and the supply of primary providers, and he or she urged companions to help UN programmes deployed in these areas.
The handover of safety duties to the authorities in December was additionally an vital symbolic milestone for Somalia, and the second part of the ATMIS drawdown was efficiently accomplished by the top of January, regardless of delays.
As planning is now underway for a brand new AU-led mission, Ms. Laing stated plans for drawdown might should be revised to permit for a clean transition and to forestall a safety vacuum from rising.
Honour the quota
Girls’s political participation and illustration stays one other critical problem and the UN continues to help efforts to realize a 30 per cent quota amongst parliamentarians.
Ms. Laing has met with ladies leaders who confused that the 30 per cent minimal have to be enshrined within the structure at the moment beneath assessment. Additionally they expressed robust help for one-person, one-vote, and voiced robust opposition for the MOU, warning that it has the potential to spark battle that will disproportionately have an effect on ladies and women.
She informed the Council that Somalia’s humanitarian disaster stays dire. Final yr noticed the worst drought in a long time, adopted by heavy rains and in depth flooding that affected greater than 2.4 million individuals.
A $1.6 billion humanitarian plan for this yr goals to help 5.2 million most susceptible individuals. Though this represents a virtually 40 per cent discount from 2023, it’s in keeping with a brand new, extra focused strategy, given dwindling humanitarian funding globally.
