'Grave concern' for Somalia

Thursday, December 20, 2007

 

United Nations - The UN Security Council on Wednesday renewed its call for the world body to pursue contingency planning for deploying a peacekeeping force in war-wracked Somalia.

 

It also expressed "grave concern" about the humanitarian situation in the volatile Horn of Africa country.

 

A non-binding statement, read out by Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, whose country chairs the 15-member council this month, asked UN chief Ban Ki-moon to report to the council by February 8 on contingency planning for a UN force to take over from African Union troops in Somalia.

 

The council welcomed Monday's briefing by special envoy for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah but did not specifically comment on his proposal that the world body and the Somali transitional government reach swift agreement on bolstering AU troops in Somalia.

 

The AU force known as AMISOM "needs to remain operational and its effectiveness strengthened", Ould-Abdallah told the council on Monday. "For this, Saudi Arabia ... a close neighbour with many Somali refugees, should be invited to play a leading role."

 

Expressing "grave concern" at the humanitarian situation in Somalia, the council demanded that "all parties in Somalia ensure unfettered access for all humanitarian assistance and calls on them to fulfil their responsibilities and obligations under international humanitarian law".

 

Last week, an AU official said Burundi planned to send a first battalion of troops to Somalia this month to join the 1 600 Ugandan soldiers already there since March to quell Islamist insurgents.

 

The deployment of Burundian troops, initially set for July, has been delayed due to a lack of equipment and funds. Burundi plans to send a total of 1 700 soldiers.

 

The AU aims to eventually send an 8 000-strong contingent to Somalia to help it stabilise after 16 years of bloodshed.

 

Some 600 000 civilians have been displaced and thousands others killed this year in relentless violence since January when Ethiopian forces helped oust Islamist militants, ending their six-month rule in the country's southern and central regions.

 

Violence in the lawless country has derailed numerous initiatives aimed at restoring peace and stability there since the 1991 ouster of former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

 

Source: AFP, December 20, 2007