The US holds a consultative meeting on Somalia in Kampala
A consultative meeting organised by the US, and moderated by Ambassador Johnnie Carson, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, was held on 26th July, on the sidelines of the AU Summit in Kampala, Uganda. Present were the Presidents of Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia and Tanzania, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, the Chairperson of the African Union, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN. Ambassador Carson, in his introductory remarks, welcomed participants to the meeting and expressed his gratitude for their attendance. He extended his special thanks to the government of Uganda for allowing the meeting to happen and for its hospitality, and took the opportunity to condemn the barbaric acts of terrorism in Kampala and to extend his sincere condolences to the people and government of Uganda. The reason for the meeting, he said, was that the situation in Somalia was dire. The country was at a tipping point with Al-Shabaab gaining ground and demonstrating increased confidence by extending its terrorist attacks beyond Somalia. Developments in Somalia were worsening daily and they were a serious challenge to all. If the international community did not act, and act quickly, we would all suffer a serious setback. Ambassador Carson said it was therefore necessary to identify those who can and will contribute logistically and financially, as well as provide peacekeeping troops in the effort to strengthen AMISOM and the Somali institutions of governance. No one can resolve the crisis alone, he added. We must encourage all those who can contribute in this effort. Ambassador Carson mentioned that the US government had provided US$170 million to AMISOM and US$25 million to the TFG. This was not just a promise, it had been delivered.
President Museveni emphasised that the developments in Somalia and the need to take actions were not something new. He remembered the similar situation in the DRC in1960, when Patrice Lumumba was killed, resulting in a collapse of the central state and secession of Katanga. This brought about the intervention of the UN and Congo was put back together again. More recently, Congo was rescued once more by the UN. This is one way of resolving such problems. When Ugandan troops were first deployed in Somalia, President Museveni said, it was envisaged that they, and AMISOM, would be working with local partners who would eventually organise themselves sufficiently so progress would be achieved on the ground. It appears that this is not happening. So the way to move forward, now, was to deploy enough forces to reverse the situation. The Somali people have to organise themselves, and the international community will have to provide the pay and contribute the equipment in support. The President reminded donors that a piecemeal approach would not solve the problem of Somalia. Compared to what the UN has spent in the DRC, what is needed in Somalia was miniscule. In any case, even if the cost was one billion dollars to sanitise Somalia, wasn’t it worth it? President Museveni reminded the meeting that if Somalia had been a direct neighbour of Uganda and carried out the bombings in Kampala then Uganda would have gone in by itself without asking anyone's help. Now on Somalia, Africa has a responsibility to assist those neighbouring states which have the most responsibility to do whatever they can to address the challenges created by Al-Shabaab.
Prime Minister Meles agreed with Ambassador Carson's gloomy assessment of the current situation in Somalia and that Somalia was at a tipping point. He also agreed with President Museveni that a larger force was needed to address the threat posed by Al-Shabaab. The local TFG forces and the force that AMISOM has currently deployed were not sufficient to address the challenges Somalia was facing. There was no question about the capacity of AMISOM to prevent any takeover of Mogadishu by Al-Shabaab, and defend itself when attacked. It could not, however, defeat Al-Shabaab. However, using AMISOM as a central pillar and mobilising additional forces would provide for the defeat of Al-Shabaab. At the same time, the ultimate goal of stabilising Somalia rests, of course, on Somalis. AMISOM cannot continue indefinitely. Prime Minister Meles stressed that the donors should contribute financially and that all the various training measures should be coordinated and based on what the TFG wants and needs. The trained forces must also be allocated with stipends otherwise they might switch sides for obvious financial reasons. Prime Minister Meles, reminding the meeting of what had happened in Burundi, said the critical shortage of resources could be addressed by turning AMISOM into a UN Peacekeeping Force. This, he emphasised, was the way to avert the slide to hell in Somalia. Unless the TFG and its security institutions are assisted there could not be any sustainable solution for Somalia. AMISOM could not be a permanent fire brigade. Prime Minister Meles also raised the issue of the failure of the TFG to receive no more than 30% of promised assistance. Reportedly, 70% of the amount is virtually lost in administration by those who have the responsibility for the distribution of assistance. He suggested this should change and the TFG should be directly supported if progress was to be achieved. At the same time he called on members of the TFG to stop squabbling over a mere carcass and to appeal to the people of Somalia to isolate Al-Shabaab. The international community should be very clear that the hardcore Al-Shabaab elements cannot be negotiated with. They must be defeated. Certainly one can work on how to incorporate “fellow travellers”, but there has to be clarity on this matter in a number of states. He warned of the consequences of a proliferation of initiatives. He underlined Ethiopia’s willingness to help in any form other than the deployment of troops again. He concluded by stressing that any takeover by Al-Shabaab and any threats to AMISOM could not be tolerated.
President Kibaki unhesitatingly called for swift action. Enough has been said about Somalia, he pointed out. What was needed now was concrete action. The Presidents of Djibouti and Tanzania also spoke at length on the need for resilience, action, and clarity on what to do in Somalia and the necessity of finding the necessary resolve to address the threats posed by Al-Shabaab. President Sheikh Sharif elaborated on the crisis that Somalia was passing through and on the scourge of terrorism that was posing the danger to Somalia, to the region and beyond. He said Somalis were not proud of having to ask for the support of the international community, but the situation and the composition of the enemy and the support it was getting from those bent on destabilising the region, forced the TFG to request help.
All speakers emphasised the need for quick action in Somalia and requested any who might assist to play their part. Equally, the TFG should do more; it must avoid the problems caused by its own divisions. The danger posed by Al-Shabaab was underlined by a recent publication which made clear its grandiose schemes. The meeting agreed on the need to give the peacekeeping force enough of a mandate to enforce peace. Coordination of all the various efforts and the need for sustainability was also emphasised. The meeting agreed that the Somali problem had global ramifications and suggested specific actions to be taken. It was agreed to send joint missions to various countries in the next couple of weeks to request financial, logistical and other support for the TFG, and troop contributions from those countries that have demonstrated the capacity and willingness to strengthen AMISOM forces. It was agreed that a roadmap for action for the remaining transitional period of the TFG should be formulated. The need for coordinated action to address the twin threat of piracy and terrorism, through the provision of sustainable support to the TFG and AMISOM, was underlined.