A3 + 1 JOINT STATEMENT ON THE
SITUATION IN SOMALIA
DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR TAREK LADEB
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF TUNISIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
17 November 2021
Mr. President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of Kenya, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Tunisia, the A3+1.
We thank Mr. James Swan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), Mr. Francisco Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and Ms. Asha Siyad, Executive Director of the Somali Women's Leadership Initiative, for their briefings.
We also would like to recognize and welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Somalia to this meeting.
Mr. President,
The A3+1 welcomes the completion last Saturday of the Upper House elections, with all 54 seats selected as well as the start of the House of the People’s elections. We underline again the importance of completing the electoral process, including the election, of the President of Somalia, in a timely manner to realize the legitimate aspirations of the People of Somalia to security stability, democracy, good governance and development. We reiterate once more that a prolonged delay in completing the electoral process could divert resources and attention away from critical national priorities.
While we regret the missed target of 30 percent women elected to the Upper House, we note that 26 percent of persons elected, at this phase, were indeed women. We hope that the upcoming elections for the House of the People will bridge the existing gap. We also reiterate our support for one-person one-vote elections and encourage the continuation of efforts to achieve that objective during the following election cycle.
Mr. President,
The A3+1 remains concerned by the major threat to peace, security and stability in Somalia posed by Al Shabaab terrorist group that is responsible for the majority of attacks in the country and whose terrorist and other activities have a destabilizing impact to state-building in Somalia. We particularly strongly condemn the numerous suicide attacks they perpetrated in Mogadishu during the previous three months and express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the People and Government of Somalia.
We reiterate our call for the continued international support for the government of Somalia in its fight against Al Shabaab and other groups active in the country and to enable it to take full security responsibility in line with the Somalia Transition Plan.
We pay tribute to the role played in this regard by AMISOM during the past years. We also take note of the African Union Peace and Security Council Communique adopted on 7 October 2021, and circulated in UN Security Council document S/2021/922, that endorsed the Report of the AU led Independent Assessment on the African Union’s Engagement In and With Somalia Post-2021 and its Option 1, namely to establish an AU-UN Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Somalia, deployed under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which would ensure predictable and sustainable multi-year financing for the future mission, through UN assessed contributions.
The A3+1 underlines the importance of taking due consideration of the needs, priorities and views of the host country in defining the nature and objective of any future mission in Somalia and encourages all the relevant parties to further engage constructively in order to reach an agreement mutually acceptable.
The A3+1 also shares the view that there is a need to thoroughly address the financing challenges of any AU’s engagement in Somalia post-2021, through the provision of adequate, sustainable and predictable financing, including through access to UN assessed contributions.
Mr. President,
The A3+1 reiterates its deep concern over the humanitarian situation in Somalia with an estimated 7 million people at crisis level food insecurity due to the combined effect of conflict, environmental crisis, including drought, floods and locust, and the COVID-19 pandemic. We call for an unhindered humanitarian access to all those in need. We also reiterate our call on all international partners to scale up funding for the humanitarian response plans for Somalia.
To conclude Mr President, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, unity, political independence, and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as our support to all efforts to secure its peace, political stability and socio-economic progress.
I thank you