AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE "4j'1111 .3.J11 UNIAO AFRICANA P.O. Box: 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tel.:(251-11) 551 38 22 Fax: (251-11) 551 93 21 Email: situation [email protected], oau -ewsj ethionet.et __ PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 214TH MEETING 8 JANUARY 2010 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA PSC/PR/2(CCXIV) REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION ON THE SITUATION IN SOMALIA PSD/PR/2(CCXIV) Page 1 REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION ON THE SITUATION IN SOMALIA 1. INTRODUCTION 1. At its 194th meeting held on 15 June 2009, Council reviewed developments in Somalia on the basis of the report I presented on the situation in that country [PSC/PR/2(CXCIV)]. Council adopted communique PSC/PR/COMM.(CXCIV), in which it, among others, decided to renew the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for a period of seven months, beginning from 17 June 2009. 2. The present report provides an update on the developments that have taken place in Somalia since June 2009. It concludes with observations and recommended actions on the way forward, including the renewal of AMISOM mandate for a further period of 12 months, starting from 17 January 2010. POLITICAL SITUATION 3. During the period under review, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has continued to experience many challenges, mainly as a result of the continued attacks by armed extremists groups, supported by foreign elements. In addition to the continued insecurity in most parts of Somalia, the TFG also faces the challenges of weak capacity of security and public sector institutions, delays in articulating and implementing a clear political roadmap, clan divisions and other internal problems within the Government, lack of resources for the provision of basic services, and inadequate organization and coordination of sufficient and continued partner support. 4. In mid-June 2009, and as a result of the increased threat from the foreign-backed extremists, President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed declared a state of emergency and called on the international community to provide urgent military assistance to prevent the fall of the Government. In response to this appeal, the TFG received the strong political support of neighbouring States and the wider international community, including the Inter- Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU), the United Nations, the European Union (EU) and the United States, all of whom strongly condemned the violent attempts to remove the legitimate Government of Somalia. 5. Mention should be made here of the communique issued by the 33`d extraordinary session of the IGAD Council of Ministers, held in Addis Ababa on 10 July 2009; the press statement issued by Council at its 198th meeting held on 21 July 2009 and decision Assembly/AU/Dec.252(XIII) on the report on the activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa, adopted by the Assembly of the Union at its 13th ordinary session held in Sirte, Libya, from 1 to 3 July 2009; and the presidential statement issued by the United Nations Security Council on 9 July 2009. In particular, IGAD and the AU reiterated their calls for the imposition of sanctions on individuals and entities considered to be spoilers of the Djibouti Peace Process and the enforcement of measures to block the flow of arms to the Somali insurgents through the country's airports and seaports. PSD/PR/2(CCXIV) Page 2 6. Since Council's meeting of 15 June 2009, the Government has continued to pursue dialogue and reconciliation among the Somali people, through influential clan elders, clerics, and traditional leaders, including the Hawiiye Cultural and Unity Council. President Sharif Ahmed has publicly pronounced his Government's readiness to enter into dialogue with elements of the armed opposition, and remains open to talks with hard-line elements of the Islamist insurgency who commit to renouncing and ending violence. It would be recalled that, earlier this year, the President established a Committee on Peace, Security and Reconciliation, through which the TFG has met with various leaders to press for a cessation of hostilities, an expansion of the political process and the promotion of national reconciliation. Despite these peace overtures, some extremist leaders in Al Shabaab and Hisbul Islam remain intransigent and have continued to perpetrate violence against the Government and people of Somalia and AMISOM. 7. The TFG has, however, not been deterred by the negative response of the extremists. The Government has sought to strengthen its domestic support and to reach out to moderate groups within the country, including Al Sunna Wal Jama'a (ASWJ), which signed a cooperation agreement with the Government on 21 June 2009. Even though challenges remain in the implementation of that Agreement, it nevertheless demonstrates the willingness of the TFG to broaden the space for dialogue and reconciliation and to reach out to other groups still outside the Djibouti Peace Process. Council will recall that the AU, IGAD, the International Contact Group on Somalia and other international stakeholders have continuously reiterated that the Djibouti Process currently remains the only framework for dialogue and reconciliation and as such is open to all Somalis to participate. 8. Internally, despite the precarious security situation, both the TFG and the expanded Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) have taken some positive steps to rebuild functioning state institutions in Mogadishu. The Government has held regular cabinet meetings, established revenue collection mechanisms, signed trade and cooperation agreements with neighbouring and other friendly countries, established an anti-corruption commission, approved Sharia law implementation, and begun the reorganization of its security forces. In June 2009, the TFG signed an agreement with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, a reputable accounting firm, to manage donor funds in order to increase its credibility and accountability in the use of public resources. At its 33`d ordinary session held in Djibouti, on 7 and 8 December 2009, the IGAD Council of Ministers acknowledged the efforts of the TFG to work closely with partner countries and organizations in a transparent and accountable manner, and noted the national budget approved by the TFG for July - December 2009 and January - December 2010. 9. In August 2009, Prime Minister Ali Sharmarke carried out a cabinet reshuffle. The objective was to address some of the weaknesses noted in the first Cabinet established in February 2009, including clan imbalances and discontent, lack of performance or commitment from some Ministers, and discontent among the main partners (former TFG and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia/Islamic Courts Union - ARS/ICU). Additional steps were also taken to revive Government initiatives and to bolster its performance. The Cabinet ministries were clustered into five broad sectors (Security, Economy and Governance, Religion and Justice, Communication and Information, and Foreign Relations) to improve efficiency and effectiveness. PSD/PR/2(CCXIV) Page 3 10. President Sharif continued his visits abroad during the reporting period with visits to the United States, Kuwait and Yemen. At the UN General Assembly in September 2009, he outlined the Government's priority areas, namely, improving security, broadening dialogue and expanding reconciliation, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the population. While in the United States, the President also held meetings with Somalis in the diaspora. 11. The High Level Committee (HLC) was re-launched during the reporting period. It met on 23 October 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya, in a new format bringing together the TFG and the International Community, including AMISOM, the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) and partners. The HLC met again on 15 December 2009, ahead of the meeting of the ICG on Somalia in Jeddah, and discussed areas of cooperation between the TFG and the international community, including security, governance, justice and reconciliation. 12. In July 2009, the European Council decided to step up the EU's engagement for promoting peace and development in Somalia. To this end, the Council studied possibilities for the EU to contribute to international efforts, including in the security field, it being understood that further EU support to the Somali security sector should be part of a larger and coherent framework involving close EU cooperation with the AU, the UN and other relevant partners, in particular the US. On 17 November 2009, the European Council approved a Crisis Management Concept on a possible ESDP mission to contribute to the training of TFG Security Forces, and requested further planning work, without prejudice to any future decisions on a possible ESDP action. 13. On 17 December 2009, the International Contact Group on Somalia, of which the AU is a member, held its 16th meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, the TFG presented its concept papers on security, political outreach and reconciliation, reconstruction and development, and transitional tasks, and sought the support of the international community in implementing these. The meeting reiterated its support for the TFG and hailed its commitment to continue its outreach efforts to all groups willing to cooperate and ready to renounce violence, and encouraged the TFG to continue to expand its efforts. The meeting also called on the international community to offer practical and, where possible, direct support to the TFG in order to provide it with the opportunity to demonstrate that it can deliver on urgent tasks and be held accountable. SUPPORT AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE TFG 14. The TFG has been faced with many complex challenges in its efforts at implementing the Djibouti Peace Agreement, among which is the re-building of state institutions and the Government's capacity to deliver basic social services to the people. For the last two decades, Somalia has been in a civil conflict that has led to the collapse of its state institutions and social fabric.