The UN’s new SRSG for Somalia visits Ethiopia
On Tuesday this week [17th Aug], Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, the new Special Representative for the UN Secretary General in Somalia (SRSG) held talks on Somalia with Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tekeda Alemu in Addis Ababa. The SRSG made it clear that while the Somali situation remained difficult, he was hopeful that progress could be achieved on the ground with IGAD playing a critical role. He thought there had been an encouraging response from the international community over moves to increase peacekeeping troop levels. He said he was impressed by the progress made in implementation of the agreement between the TFG and Ahlu Suna wal Jama’a. This emphasised the efforts of the TFG to address the challenges it faced on the ground and in accomplishing the remaining tasks for the transition period. The SRSG noted the negative impact of the uncomfortable level of bickering in the TFG, but stressed the need for the international community to assist the TFG’s efforts.
Dr. Tekeda emphasised that while the SRSG had been appointed at a particularly challenging time, with serious problems on the ground, we were now also seeing greater coordination and cooperation among the international community. This included the recent meeting on the sidelines of the Kampala Summit; the current preparations for a joint international demarche; growing coordination between Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda; the meeting of the IGAD Chiefs of Defence Staffs who have begun to act on the decisions of the IGAD Heads of State and Government; and the overall methodical follow-up to these activities. The contrast with the previous lack of coordination was marked. Earlier, there had been more coordination among those bent on creating havoc in the region than those supporting peace and security. Now difficulties on the ground were beginning to be offset by greater coordination. This was encouraging and should help the work of the SRSG.
The momentum of the onslaught by Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu appeared to have been halted, though it seemed to be trying to expand its efforts to challenge the relative peace and stability of Puntland and Somaliland which had just conducted a well-organised election. The tempo of its attacks was increasing. Puntland was currently involved in a fight against Al-Shabaab forces. Dr. Tekeda noted that there was a lack of effective support for the efforts being made in the area of security by the administrations in Somaliland and Puntland. Ambassador Mahiga agreed that international coordination and support efforts should also include these areas. With greater international resolve and effort there was a real possibility of containing, and reversing, the activities of Al-Shabaab.
It was clear that the TFG must avoid the disagreements it has been prone to in the past. It must prove it is worthy of receiving support. Equally the international community must continue to assist the TFG as it remains the only rallying point for international support and legitimacy. At the same time the delivery of assistance to the TFG had certainly left much to be desired. Dr. Tekeda and Ambassador Mahiga agreed that there was a need to create mechanisms for co-ordination and for encouraging all those supporting AMISOM to extend their support to the TFG as well, a need for UNPOS to be present on the ground and a need to engage with Puntland and Somaliland as they were key players. They could provide a back-up in the efforts to assist the peoples of Somalia. Ambassador Mahiga noted that UNPOS was ready to go back into Somalia as soon as possible as part of Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon’s “light footprint” for the UN in Somalia.
The importance of the suggestion to hold a high-level political retreat to consider the remaining tasks for the transitional period was emphasised; and it was noted that the International Contact Group would be holding their next meeting in Madrid from 27th-28th August. There are plans for the UN Secretary-General to hold a meeting on Somalia in New Work with major stakeholders on 24th September.