An IGAD Council meeting on Somalia and Sudan in New York
The IGAD Council of Ministers held its 37th Extraordinary Session on Wednesday in New York, on the margins of the 65th UN General Assembly. The meeting was chaired by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin (Ethiopia is the current chair of IGAD) and all IGAD ministers attended. The Council was given briefings on the situation in Somalia by the AU Commission Chairperson, the IGAD Facilitator on Somalia, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Somalia, and the Foreign Minister of Somalia’s TFG. The Council was also briefed on Sudan and on the progress of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) by the Foreign Minister of the Sudan and by IGAD’s Special Envoy to the Sudan, Lissane Yohannes.
In his opening remarks, Minister Seyoum thanked his colleagues for attending the meeting which he described as particularly important in view of the rapidly changing situation in Somalia, relating both to the political situation there and to the recent behaviour of some international organizations towards Eritrean claims that it was now prepared to contribute positively to help solve the problems of Somalia. He recalled the important decisions taken by the AU and IGAD aimed at changing the security situation in Somalia, emphasizing that the status quo must change and the extremists could not be allowed to succeed. He reminded the meeting of the decisions taken by the Council at its last Extraordinary meeting on 15th June, when the Council had welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding between AMISOM, the IGAD Facilitator’s Office and the UN Political Office to co-ordinate their efforts and activities and to improve communications between them. Minister Seyoum took the opportunity to call on these parties to further co-ordinate their actions and deal with any remaining gaps in their collaboration.
Minister Seyoum also reminded the meeting of the IGAD Summit following the last Council meeting which had added clarity to a number of the crucial decisions taken. The IGAD Heads of State and Government in their final communiqué had, of course, stated that “the conflict in Somalia is not a conflict among Somalis but a conflict between the people of Somalia and international terrorists.” The position taken by the IGAD Summit was endorsed by the AU Summit in Kampala in July.
With reference to Eritrea’s apparent claims that it was now prepared to be helpful over Somalia, Minister Seyoum briefed the Council on some of Eritrea’s recent activities both in reference to Ethiopia and to Somalia. Over 200 ONLF terrorists trained in Eritrea had been sent from Eritrea, through Somaliland and into Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State. They were surrounded and caught close to the border inside Ethiopia and 123 were killed last week; dozens of others had been captured. On 3rd September, Eritrea had sent a planeload of arms and ammunition down to Al-Shabaab in Kismayo. The plane had returned with some 30 wounded Al-Shabaab terrorists, presumably for treatment in hospital in Asmara.
The IGAD Council held extensive discussions on the best way to support the TFG at this juncture and move forward to address the challenges still facing Somalia. It also considered the activities of some international agencies which apparently played a role in creating misunderstandings among the leadership of the TFG. Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake has now resigned this week after weeks of dispute with the President. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Abdiwahid Elmi Gonjeh, was appointed acting Prime Minister by President Sheikh Sharif before he left to attend the UN General Assembly.
In the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the IGAD Council reiterated their call for the international community to do more to assist in making peace in Somalia. The Council expressed its regret that Eritrea, in continued violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1907, continued its spoiling activities in Somalia. Eritrea was still the main conduit of arms and ammunition to Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, continued to train insurgents from these terrorist groups and infiltrate them into Somalia. In this regard the Council called on the UN Security Council to implement all pertinent resolutions that had been adopted on Somalia and Eritrea and in particular Resolution 1907 which imposes sanctions on Eritrea for its efforts to destabilize Somalia, and the region, and Resolution 1916 (2010) mandating the UN Monitoring Group to follow up implementation of the sanctions.
The Council noted with regret the internal differences within the TFG leadership which had continued despite repeated calls by IGAD and the international community. It called on the TFG leadership to demonstrate its commitment to the people of Somalia, to rapidly appoint a new prime minister, strengthen its cohesion and work together. It underlined the need to maintain the status quo within the TFIs until the end of the transition period in August next year and to sustain the trust of partners and of Somalis. It reiterated that the Djibouti Peace Process remained the sole basis for achieving peace and national reconciliation in Somalia, and committed IGAD to keeping the process alive. It called on the TFG to redouble its efforts to bring on board all forces that reject violence. It condemned the continued attacks by Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam on civilians, on the AMISOM peacekeepers and on the Transitional Government. It underscored the importance of building up TFG security institutions in line with the decisions of the IGAD Chiefs of Defense Staff and the need to provide the necessary military equipment and technical support as well as financial assistance and training for effective action.
The Council also expressed its concern over the multiplicity of conferences and the proliferation of initiatives which threatened to undermine the Djibouti Process and the regional efforts. It urged the UN and other stakeholders to engage with the Region and with the African Union in their efforts to assist in Somalia. As always, the Council also expressed its appreciation to AMISOM and to the troop-contributing countries. It appealed to those members states which have pledged troops, equipment and other support to redeem their pledges so AMISOM could attain the necessary 20,000 troop level to fulfill its mandate. In this regard, the IGAD Council requested the UN Security Council to agree formally to approve the 20,000 troop level as well as to make funds available to sustain this larger force. It appealed to the UN to mobilize the necessary resources to sustain AMISOM pending its transformation into a UN peacekeeping operation.
The IGAD Council also stressed the urgency for the TFG to complete the Constitution Drafting and Validation processes, the establishment of regional administrations and the building up of institutions as envisaged in the Transitional Federal Charter before the end of the transition period. It underlined its deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation, and affirmed the readiness of IGAD states to provide safe passage for vulnerable groups. It appealed to the international community to provide adequate resources to address the humanitarian problems.
The IGAD Council also exchanged views on Sudan and made clear its appreciation of efforts by all parties to implement the CPA. It welcomed the establishment of the South Sudan Referendum Commission and the appointment of a Secretary-General to the Commission. It encouraged the parties to redouble efforts to consider post-referendum arrangements, to expedite the establishment of the Abiyie referendum commission, the final demarcation of the Abiyie area Administration and the North-South border. It expressed its appreciation of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, headed by former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, for assisting the parties to implement the CPA. It assured the panel of IGAD’s support.