Assembly - The debate and decisions on Somalia
Prior to the Assembly session when the Heads of State and Government considered the issue of Somalia, Chairperson Ping, addressing the Executive Council, had identified the agreement signed between Ahlu Suna wal Jama’a and the TFG as an encouraging step. He took the opportunity to emphasise the need to take bold political and legal measures to significantly enhance the strength, resources and equipment of AMISOM.
In the Assembly session on Somalia, the AU Commission Chairperson's report was followed by a briefing from the President of the TFG, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. He began by condemning the recent barbaric acts of terrorism in Kampala before elaborating on the current situation in Somalia, on the need for international community support for the TFG and its security institutions as well as for AMISOM in order to deal with the current scourge of terrorism in Somalia. He made it clear that the struggle in Somalia, as indeed the IGAD Summit of 5th July had underlined was now a fight between the people of Somalia and international terrorists.
President Sheikh Sharif identified to the Assembly the activities of certain countries, which for reasons unknown to him, supported Al-Shabaab terrorists financially and logistically. He pointed out that Eritrea was at the forefront of support for the terrorists financially, through training and in providing logistics. He formally requested Eritrea to desist from providing such support. President Sheikh Sharif recently attended the latest meeting of CEN-SAD in Njamena which was also attended by Eritrea’s President Isaias. Although attempts were made to bring the two together, the effort did not produce any results, and apparently the Eritrean President was abusive to the President of Somalia. In response to Somalia’s claims, the Eritrean delegate suggested that there were no witnesses to support the TFG’s accusation that Eritrea was supporting Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam. It was, however, clear from the debate and the subsequent affirmations that the Assembly was not convinced by Eritrea’s arguments.
After debate, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government reaffirmed its full support for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. It strongly condemned the attacks and other acts of violence perpetrated by Al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups against the TFG, the Somali people and AMISOM. Condemning the terrorist acts perpetrated on Uganda, the Assembly called on member states and the entire international community to isolate and take all required measures against individuals, entities and States engaged in terrorist acts and whose actions are undermining the peace and reconciliation process in Somalia, as well as regional stability and international security.
The Assembly encouraged the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) to enhance their cohesion, and work purposefully towards national reconciliation and unity among Somalis, in line with the Djibouti Agreement of August 2009. In this respect the Assembly welcomed the signing and implementation of the Agreement reached in Addis Ababa, on the15th March, between the TFG and Ahlu Suna wal Jama’a, as well as the Agreement signed with the Somali Region of Puntland, signed by the TFG on 12th April.
As on previous occasions, the Assembly expressed its appreciation to the troop contributing countries of AMISOM, namely Uganda and Burundi, for their invaluable contribution to peace in Somalia and for the sacrifices being made. It encouraged the ongoing effort to build up the capacity of the Somali security forces, and endorsed the decisions contained in the communiqué of the 15th Extraordinary Session of IGAD. It deeply appreciated the regional initiative, organised under Africa’s peace and security architecture, to enable AMISOM to reach its authorised strength of 8,100 troops. The Assembly mandated the Commission to initiate the planning for the new phases of AMISOM deployment as immediately as possible.
In accordance with the decisions of IGAD, the AU Assembly, recognising the imperative of political engagement in Somalia, also requested the Chairperson of the Commission to appoint a High Level Personality, to galvanise international support and attention for Somalia and for the engagement of the population in governance processes, in order to enhance the legitimacy of the TFG. The Assembly reaffirmed that the Djibouti process remains the sole basis for peace and reconciliation in Somalia, and urged the TFG to continue the efforts that it has been making to broaden its political base in the context of the legitimacy of the TFIs, to include all those who embrace peace and renounce violence. The Assembly further reiterated its call to the larger international community and the United Nations Security Council, in particular, to play their rightful role. This should include the transformation of AMISOM into a UN Peacekeeping Mission, and the mobilisation of resources commensurate with the magnitude of the challenges now facing Somalia and the region.