Somalia, 2006

It gives me great pleasure

to know that a sister from fraternal Bahrain is presiding

over this important session of the General Assembly.

Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa’s leadership will certainly

contribute to promoting dialogue and harmony in the

midst of the spread of conflicts throughout the different

corners of the world. We are confident that she will

successfully guide the deliberations of the Assembly.

Let me also take this opportunity to pay special

tribute to her predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his

commitment and diplomatic skill, which enabled him

to effectively manage the deliberations of the

Assembly. We likewise wish to recognize Secretary-

General Kofi Annan for the immense efforts

undertaken and the commendable services rendered

during his tenure in promoting the maintenance of

peace and security and international cooperation.

I wish at the outset to brief this Assembly in some

detail on the current situation in Somalia. The

establishment of the Transitional Federal Government

of Somalia was the result of the successful peace and

reconciliation process held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2004,

and created a unique opportunity for ending the Somali

political crisis. The Somali people were overjoyed that

a comprehensive settlement of the conflict had finally

been reached.

The advancement and consolidation of peace and

stability requires the unwavering commitment of the

international community to reinforce the Transitional

Federal Government’s national efforts in nation-

building. Regrettably, owing to circumstances not fully

understood by us, the international community failed to

act in a timely fashion to support the new Government

in facing the enormous challenges it confronted.

Consequently, a window of opportunity has been lost,

which has led to continued violence and conflict.

Ironically, the international community’s failure

to act also paved the way for the warlords and other

armed groups to take advantage of a political vacuum,

as they asserted and consolidated their power and clan-

based authority in the capital city, Mogadishu, and its

environs.

Although they had the privilege of holding

important ministerial portfolios in the new

Government, the warlords pursued their hidden agenda

to promote their personal interests and political

ambitions by maintaining the chaotic status quo in

Somalia.

It is noteworthy to bear in mind that the warlords

and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) had initially

combined their forces and political rhetoric as an

opposition alliance group against the Transitional

Federal Government. Both groups were encouraged by

the reluctance of the international community to come

quickly to the aid of the new Somali Government and

by the continuation of the United Nations arms

embargo against Somalia. However, the ICU soon

realized that the warlords were losing popularity

among mainstream Somalis.

At this juncture, the Transitional Federal

Government, though sceptical, responded positively to

the initiative undertaken by the League of Arab States

to convene peace talks and settle the differences

between the parties. The first and second rounds of

those peace talks have successfully taken place in

Khartoum, and both sides have agreed on general

principles and some preliminary issues for the next

round of talks scheduled to be held in Khartoum in

October 2006.

However, as the Islamic Courts Union continued

to rush to consolidate their grip, their concealed

intentions are fast becoming evident to the Somali

people and to the international community. In this

connection, it will be recalled that the ICU continued

with impunity to expand and attack other districts

outside Mogadishu including Jowhar, Balad, and other

adjacent areas. The latest development of the ICU’s

territorial expansion was the ill-advised armed attack

and seizure of the city of Kismayo, in flagrant violation

of the Khartoum Peace Agreement.

29 06-53615

It should also be noted that the President of the

Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, Mr.

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, survived a targeted

assassination attempt on 18 September 2006. My

Government firmly believes that this heinous crime is

an act of terrorism aimed at undermining and

sabotaging the peace process in Somalia and should be

condemned in the strongest terms. This heinous attack

resulted in the death of several people, including the

brother of the President. We wish to express our

appreciation to all those delegations and organizations

that expressed their sympathy and condemned this act.

These developments are all disquieting and

disturbing, and the situation is deteriorating to an

alarming degree and at a rapid pace. It continues to

pose a serious threat to the peace that has been

achieved, which has serious implications for the

security and stability of the region.

Despite all these violations of the Peace

Agreement, the Transitional Federal Government

remains committed to the path of dialogue and

negotiation with the ICU and relevant civil society

organizations. But this positive attitude will not

continue if the ICU persists in its aggressive policies of

attacks and territorial expansion.

As I stated earlier, the absence of law and order,

the escalation of violence and the ensuing collapse of

central authority were the major causes for the chaos

and anarchy in Somalia. The main goal of the

Transitional Federal Government is therefore to engage

in an effective, focused plan for the re-establishment of

institutions for peace and good governance in order to

restore normalcy and stability in the country. We

therefore strongly appeal to the international

community to demonstrate a political will and a

commitment to redouble its efforts to provide political,

financial and technical support to the Transitional

Federal Government during this challenging

transitional period.

It goes without saying that the absence of

effective, functioning government institutions capable

of enforcing law and order has been the underlying

cause of the Somali conflict for the past 14 years. At

this crucial juncture, what Somalia urgently needs is

immediate and substantial support for the creation of

an environment conducive to peace and security which

in essence is the key requirement for reconstruction

and economic recovery.

The economic challenges facing the Transitional

Federal Government of Somalia are formidable. The

collapse of the Somali State in 1991 resulted in

extensive destruction of governing and management

institutions which are now being re-established by the

Transitional Federal Government in its post-conflict

reconstruction programmes.

It is deeply disturbing to note that over half a

million children under the age of five die each year

from preventable diseases, malaria being the biggest

killer. Moreover, over 100,000 women die each year

from complications in pregnancy and childbirth.

Despite all these hardships, the Transitional Federal

Government’s economic and social recovery

programmes have received virtually no assistance from

international donors and certainly none commensurate

with the massive needs of the Somali people. For far

too long, Somalia was allowed to struggle alone and

the negative consequences have been monumental.

Somalia can aspire to establish the sufficient

conditions for sustained economic growth by

leveraging its energetic human and social capital.

However, a successful and sustainable reconstruction

and development programme requires the international

community’s support of the Transitional Federal

Government’s determined efforts to wield

administrative authority and develop competence at the

federal, regional and district levels. This situation calls

for a broad-based participatory partnership approach

from the family of nations and for the provision of

technical assistance in the building of efficient

institutions that leverage the resiliency and potential of

the Somali people.

In terms of required relief assistance, it is to be

noted that approximately 1.8 million Somalis are still

in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and

livelihood support. In view of the magnitude of this

challenge, my delegation appeals to the world body

and the donor community to respond positively,

generously and, above all, concertedly in order to meet

Somalia’s humanitarian needs and avert a catastrophe

of major proportions.

In an effort to stabilize Somalia and overcome the

sources of insecurity, the Government has put in place

a well-marshalled National Security and Stabilization

Plan. Both in concept and execution, the plan takes a

holistic approach to the nature and scope of insecurity

in the country. For its implementation, the plan takes

06-53615 30

into consideration local, regional and international

dimensions. Accordingly, it envisions the combined

and concerted local, regional and international efforts

in its execution. However, the realization of this plan

remains elusive insofar as the Government is fragile

and incapable of enforcing the policies and laws of the

land pursuant to the Transitional Federal Charter.

The Transitional Federal Government welcomes

all efforts now being undertaken by the international

community in addressing the new problems and

realities of Somalia. It is important to note that the

Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

and the African Union have now finalized the details

and salient elements of the IGAD Peace Support

Mission in Somalia. At the international level, it is also

gratifying that the International Contact Group on

Somalia, which was recently established, convened its

second meeting in Brussels to find ways and means to

streamline the international engagement and support

for Somalia. Moreover, on its part, the United Nations

Security Council is in the process of considering

Somalia’s security problems, in particular the lifting of

the United Nations arms embargo and the deployment

of IGASOM to Somalia.

All these combined activities at the regional and

international levels demonstrate the heightened interest

and attention given to Somalia. However, it remains to

be seen whether all these initiatives can be properly

coordinated and directed towards substantially

assisting the Transitional Federal Government in its

daunting task of stabilizing the country. To be

meaningful and effective, the contributions of the

international community must focus, as a matter of

priority, on the fundamental issue of capacity-building

for the Transitional Federal Government institutions,

particularly in the security sector.

It is imperative that the following specific

measures be taken as a matter of urgency:

First, the United Nations arms embargo must be

favourably reviewed and lifted by the Security

Council. Secondly, the IGAD Peace Support Mission

should be deployed as mandated by the African Union

and IGAD. Thirdly, the National Security Forces must

be institutionalized, trained and equipped. Fourthly, the

Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration

Programme must be undertaken throughout Somalia.

It is also of paramount importance that a solid

basis for the Somali public administration be

established and that a modest and lean civil service be

recruited and trained for the various public sector

organs of the State. Regional administrations should be

put in place and federal restructuring drawn and

implemented in conformity with the Transitional

Federal Charter. Finally, immediate efforts should be

exerted for the drafting of the permanent federal

constitution of Somalia so as to pave the way for free

and fair elections after the completion of the

transitional period.

These proposals are aimed at restoring peace and

stability in order to assist the Transitional Federal

Government in establishing functioning and effective

institutions capable of providing essential basic

services to the people. Failure to do so would once

again relegate Somalia to yet another cycle of violence

and anarchy.

We share the desire expressed by many

delegations in this forum to see the United Nations

reinvigorate its role and strengthen its capabilities with

a view to becoming more active and effective. It could

then guarantee the fulfilment of the objectives and

principles that are enshrined in the Charter, so as to

ensure that peace on earth and international

cooperation will continue to prevail for the welfare of

mankind.