S/PV.6681 Security Council

I am pleased to attend this meeting on Somalia and to have this opportunity to share with the Security Council my perspectives on the situation based on recent developments and on my own visit to Somalia last Friday. I travelled to the region from Durban. As the Council discussed climate change in July (see S/PV.6587), let me say very quickly that leaders in Durban showed once again that multilateral negotiations on climate change can deliver. We agreed on a clear target and timeline for reaching a legally binding deal; a recommitment to the Kyoto Protocol; and significant advances on technology and financing, including the Green Climate Fund. Now we must implement those decisions and keep the Durban spirit of cooperation and progress alive. Since I took office, Somalia has been a priority. A few years ago, people tended to think of Somalia only as a place of famine or bloodshed. Often, when I spoke about Somalia, people wanted to change the subject; I wanted to change the way we saw Somalia. We finally face a moment of fresh opportunities, and we must seize it. That is why the President of General Assembly and I travelled together to Mogadishu on 9 December. That was the first visit by a United Nations Secretary- General in more than 18 years and, of course, the first time ever in the history of the Organization that the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary- General travelled together to Somalia. That my visit was even possible is a sign of improved security and the investment that the United Nations has made in supporting the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). All city districts are now effectively under the control of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), with the support of AMISOM. I congratulated the brave TFG and AMISOM soldiers and extended my condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and to the Governments of Somalia, Burundi and Uganda. The AMISOM Force Commander, Major General Fred Mugashi of Uganda, explained the difficult circumstances they faced and the need for adequate military assets to fight an asymmetric terrorist war. In an urban environment, we must secure gains and extend them beyond Mogadishu. That requires AMISOM to deploy at its full strength of 12,000 troops. It also demands the necessary force enablers, including air assets, such as helicopters, and military engineering capabilities. During my visit, I announced that the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) would relocate to Mogadishu in January 2012. That will begin with my Special Representative, Mr. Mahiga, and his core team and expand gradually as more resources become available. I also asked the United Nations country team to work more closely with UNPOS to support the TFG’s efforts in governance, recovery, development and capacity-building. For all of that to be possible, we must expedite arrangements for protecting United Nations and AMISOM civilian personnel. I also renew my appeal for supporting the United Nations recovery and stabilization plan. In Mogadishu, we were welcomed by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and other leaders. They thanked the United Nations and urged that continued assistance be provided. The leadership has heeded the Security Council’s call to work together. Nonetheless, despite some progress, important deadlines have been missed. I asked the leadership to intensify its efforts to implement the road map. I made clear the fact that the transition must end in August 2012. In particular, I urged them to accelerate constitutional and parliamentary reforms, which require not financial resources, but political will. I echoed the Council’s statement that continued international assistance rests on continued reform. I encouraged them to build trust by ensuring accountability and transparency. I warmly welcomed the active engagement of civil society and of the Somali diaspora. President Sharif assured me of his Government’s commitment to a broadly inclusive implementation of the road map. He cited the upcoming meeting on the constitution-making process as an important step. Beyond Mogadishu, the Islamist insurgents in Somalia are retreating under mounting pressure from Government forces and their militia allies, backed by Kenyan and Ethiopian forces. This represents a unique opportunity to help stabilize the country at large. The United Nations is helping the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to develop coherent military planning in the country. We must ensure that the military strategy is aligned with political objectives. As more territory is liberated, the TFG must strengthen its outreach to the local population and form new regional entities in line with the Transitional Federal Charter. On the military front, we must not exclude the incorporation of new forces and the expansion of AMISOM. We are undertaking a joint assessment on the ground and will revert to the Council with a proposal. In the meantime, I echo African Union and AMISOM troop contributors and ask the Council to reconsider the financial and logistical arrangements for supporting AMISOM operations in the next phase. We must also boost our efforts to safeguard civilians and the safety of the relief supply route. I have urged the Government of Kenya, AMISOM and the TFG to uphold the rights of civilians, refugees and Somali asylum-seekers. Prior to my visit, I travelled to Kenya and met with President Mwai Kibaki in Nairobi. I expressed my gratitude for his leadership and asked for his continued generosity to and support for those fleeing Somalia. I also visited the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya. It now hosts almost half a million Somali refugees, including more than 190,000 people who have fled famine and insecurity in the past year. I met one family that had lost two children during their hard journey. I was deeply moved and saddened by their suffering. I assured all parties of our strong commitment to ending the transition so that these refugees can return home and rebuild their lives. Generous donor contributions and concerted relief efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Parts of southern Somalia have been lifted out of famine. However, millions are still in crisis. To add to the suffering, on 28 November Al-Shabaab occupied the compounds of 16 organizations operating in areas under its control in south-central Somalia. I condemn those actions and once again call on all parties to immediately allow unimpeded humanitarian access and to refrain from actions which threaten the safety of Somalis and those assisting them. Recent developments and our work in Somalia are detailed in the report before the Council (S/2011/759). I renew my thanks to my Special Representative, Mr. Mahiga, and to all our colleagues and partners who serve in such difficult and dangerous circumstances. I look forward to attending the high- level meeting on Somalia that Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom intends to organize in London early next year. This is a crucial moment for the international community. We must seize this moment for the sake of the people of Somalia and the stability of the region.

I thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on this issue.