Senior UN official: Somalia’s population, int`l partners must be energized to sustain country’s ‘upward trajectory,’
UN Photo/Loey Felipe A wide view of the Security Council as Raisedon Zenenga (on screen right), Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), and Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira (on screen left), Special Representative
Despite Somalia’s persistent security threats, recurrent political
crises, capacity constraints and the difficulties in navigating
political obstacles to its reform agenda, the Horn of Africa country
remains on a “positive trajectory,” the UN Security Council was told on
Wednesday.
Briefing the Council, Raisedon Zenenga ,the Deputy Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (
UNSOM), reported
that the country had made significant progress on its economic and
security sector reforms. There had also been progress on the inclusive
politics agenda as well, including the constitutional review process and
preparations for the universal suffrage elections.
“The Federal Government has decided to apply the same rigorous
approach to bring accountability and transparency to the security
sector,” he said, noting, among other recent steps, the completion in
March of biometric registration of all Somali National Army
soldiers. All 16,000 soldiers registered were now receiving their
salaries directly into their bank accounts.
“This has cut out middle men, reduced corruption, and ensures regular
payment of salaries to military personnel. It also paves the way for
rightsizing the National Army,” said Mr. Zenenga.
In parallel with these security sector reforms, the Federal
Governments had launched military operations in Lower Shabelle region to
advance the Transition Plan, degrade Al Shabaab in strongholds that are
contiguous to Mogadishu and thereby halt the recent increase
in Al Shabaab attacks in the capital.
Yet, Somalia continued to grapple with significant challenges, he
said, explaining that the Federal Government’s reform efforts have
encountered “inevitable” resistance. The economic reforms and security
sector reforms entail dismantling a war economy that had flourished for
decades.
“There are many vested interests which pose obstacles to increased
accountability. Taking on these vested interests requires not only the
determination, which the Federal Government has shown, but an inclusive
approach of building relationships with all stakeholders to demonstrate
that the reforms will yield benefits for the whole nation,”
Mr. Zenenga stressed.
He also noted that the dialogue between Somalia and Somaliland, which
also has implications for the completion of the constitutional review
process, remains stalled. “We are, however, encouraged by ‘Somaliland’
President Muse Bihi’s remarks on 18 May expressing his readiness to
promote peace with Puntland, including through the exchange of
prisoners, and to cooperate with Somalia on issues related to security,
trade and education.”
Recalling that UNSOM began the new year facing a security crisis as a
result of the mortar attack on the UN compound on 1 January, and a
political crisis as a result of the expulsion of the Special
representative of the Secretary-General Nicholas Haysom on the same day,
Mr. Zenenga said the two incidents had severely disrupted the Mission’s
engagement with the Federal Government of Somalia and had also elevated
the security risk level for UN personnel and left our staff deeply
demoralized.
While the Mission had immediately prioritized the safety and security
of its staff while concentrating political efforts on mending relations
with the Federal Government, Mr. Zenenga underscored that a lasting
solution to the continuing security threat “will come from denying
Al Shabaab the space and opportunities to prepare and launch attacks.”
Despite such challenges, he said Somalia has “immense opportunities”
to make further progress in the coming months. He set out the following
prescription for making headway:
- The federal and sub-federal levels must agree to work together in a spirit of consensus.
- Parliament must focus on passing priority legislation in a timely manner;
- All national stakeholders need to collaborate effectively in responding to the imminent drought and avert a famine; and
- Key relationships, including with national stakeholders,
international partners and regional powers, both in the Horn of Africa
and in the Gulf should be nurtured.
“The trajectory is upward, and we can all work together to energize
Somalia’s population and their international partners towards reform and
progress,” he concluded.
Somalia’s humanitarian situation ‘among the most protracted in the world’
Also briefing the Council, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller,
said that ongoing armed conflict and violence, as well as recurrent
climatic shocks continue to drive humanitarian needs in Somalia.
Governance challenges and underdevelopment compound fragility and make
it difficult for communities to develop robust coping mechanisms.
She said that the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan,
launched in January, identified 4.2 million Somalis – one third of the
population – in need of life-saving assistance and protection. This
shows a decline in needs from 2017, when famine was averted, raising
hope that resilience activities led by the Government and development
partners could make further gains.
“However, current humanitarian indicators across the country are
showing a deterioration,” said Ms. Mueller, spotlighting three areas of
concern: the severe drought conditions that have spread from northern
and central areas throughout the country following two failed rainy
seasons; the situation of internally displaced persons; and protection
concerns.
“We must act now to avert a major humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian
partners stand ready to deliver aid to those most in need and are
capable of rapidly scaling up response, as was proven during famine
prevention efforts in 2017,” said, but cautioned that significant
funding shortfalls are constraining response and leading to a reduction
in assistance in critical areas, including health, nutrition, food
security, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
“I believe I was invited to brief you today to draw attention to the
elevated risk of a major humanitarian crisis unfolding on the horizon.
The immediate scale up of humanitarian response is essential to mitigate
the impact of the drought and to prevent further breaking up of
communities that continue to be fragile from the drought in 2017,” she
said.
She encouraged the international community to urgently increase
support for life-saving drought response efforts and to protect gains
made in 2018, and added that it was here hope that immediate resources
will be received to help us prevent a dramatic crisis from escalating.