United Nations News Centre
Friday, April 26, 2013
While the Government of Somalia that emerged from last year’s
political transition has advanced measures for stabilization and
peace-building, multiple challenges require coherent international
assistance, the United Nation’s political chief told the Security
Council today, recommending the creation of an in-country UN mission.
“The new Mission represents a fresh start for the UN in Somalia and a
renewed commitment by the Council to support Somali-owned
peacebuilding,” Jeffrey Feltman, Under Secretary-General for Political
Affairs, told the 15-member body.
He said that the Federal Government, led by President Hassan Sheikh
Mohamud, has been implementing its Six Pillar Policy for stabilization
and peace-building in the country, reaching out beyond Mogadishu in an
effort to realize its vision of building a unified federal State for the
country, which has been beset by conflict for over two decades.
However, he said that the Government’s approach to building new regional
administrations is not accepted by all, with a draft charter ratified
by three regions for the establishment of a so-called “Jubaland State in
southern Somalia, which the Government regards as unconstitutional.
In addition, the Islamist insurgent group Al-Shabaab remained a threat,
having retaken a significant town following the withdrawal of Ethiopian
troops and ramping up suicide bombings, underscoring the need to rapidly
strengthen security.
As the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was reaching its
“operational limit,” he said, a better-funded and coordinated strategic
security approach is required by the international community, one that
“recognizes that well-trained and equipped Somali forces are the
ultimate exit strategy for international military operations.”
In addition, he supported the Secretary-General’s view that a new
political Mission should work with the Government on its peace-building
and state-building agenda, replacing the UN’s Mission in Somali – UNPOS –
which is based in Nairobi.
Its role, Mr. Feltman said, would be “to act as an enabler, helping to
create and galvanize the political and strategic environment in which
stabilization and peacebuilding can proceed, including by leveraging
other parts of the UN system and international partners.”
In a March 2013 resolution renewing AMISOM’s authorization, the Council
said it “agrees with the Secretary-General that UNPOS has fulfilled its
mandate and should now be dissolved, and further agrees that UNPOS
should be replaced by a new expanded special political mission as soon
as possible.”
In that resolution it said that the revised UN presence in Somalia
should support recent political gains and to address the urgent ongoing
humanitarian and human rights situations and include good offices,
advice and assistance on security, peacekeeping and state-building, the
preparation of elections, human rights and the rule of law, and
assistance for the coordination of international assistance.
The Council, in that resolution, also agreed with the Secretary-General
that “the conditions in Somalia are not yet appropriate for the
deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.”