S/PV.8321 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Somalia to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2018/742, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2018/674, which contains a letter dated 5 July 2018 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2431 (2018). I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

We welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2431 (2018), renewing the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which has been playing an indispensable role in support of peace and reconciliation in Somalia. We thank the United Kingdom for its efforts as penholder in facilitating the negotiation of the resolution and all Council members for demonstrating flexibility and compromise in achieving the necessary consensus. Let me highlight a couple of points that were very critical for us in the negotiation of the resolution. It is very important that the resolution we adopted today acknowledges the important contribution of AMISOM in support of the Somali political process. In spite of the political and security gains made in recent years, a lot remains to be done in terms of post- conflict recovery and peacebuilding. In this regard, AMISOM can and should play a role in carrying out civilian responsibilities complementary to the efforts of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia. That is why the resolution stresses that AMISOM’s civilian component should be fully operational so as to support AMISOM’s military and police tasks, and we very much welcome this. While the Somalia transition plan provides the strategic direction for a conditions-based process by which a gradual handover of security responsibility from AMISOM to Somali security institutions can take place, detailed planning and implementation are required to put all phases of the plan into motion. Without coordination and mutual reinforcing support among partners on the ground, we might risk a delay in the implementation of the envisaged AMISOM transition. Equally important is the need for cooperation and coordination between the United Nations Support Office in Somalia and AMISOM and the Somali National Security Forces at all levels, including through improved consultation with AMISOM in the management of the logistics support package. The resolution makes that point very clear. Therefore, we are hopeful that during the implementation of the new mandate, we will see enhanced cooperation and coordination in providing greater support to inclusive political processes, in line with the comprehensive approach to security, leading to the transfer of primary security responsibility from AMISOM to the Somali security forces and institutions. Last but not least, the resolution just adopted also recognizes the need for the continuous and comprehensive assessment of AMISOM, working jointly with the African Union and the Federal Government of Somalia, in order to assess the process and make recommendations on the conditions-based graduate transition from AMISOM to Somali security responsibility, taking into account the need for an objective evaluation of capacities. We believe that this is absolutely important, and we hope that all decisions on the course of transition in Somalia will be made based on an informed decision through a closer examination of the situation on the ground.

I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

As this is the first time I speak before the Council under your leadership, Sir, I would like to congratulate you on assuming the presidency of the Council for this month and to pledge our full support and cooperation to you and your team. I would also like to acknowledge the role of your predecessor in successfully leading the Council last month. Somalia welcomes the adoption of resolution 2431 (2018), and we warmly welcome the extension of the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as its presence remains critical as Somalia moves into the next chapter. Somalia is pleased that the resolution is grounded in Somalia’s effort to progressively assume responsibility for security across the country. My country is embarking on the transition to full sovereignty, national ownership and leadership in an effort to realize the noble vision of a secure, democratic and prosperous nation that is able to meet the needs of its citizens independently. We in Somalia know that the agreed transition plan is no easy task, but with our full determination and unity and the sincere support and commitment of the international community, it is achievable. The logic of transition will guide the way forward over the next three years. I would also like also take this opportunity to welcome the latest developments regarding the protracted conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. We are further pleased with the signing and the steps taken to implement the joint declaration of peace and friendship to normalize relations between the two brotherly countries. With this start, many more achievements and challenges lie ahead of all of us, and my country will spare no effort to work for a peaceful and prosperous future for our region. Since the adoption of the previous mandate, Somalia has developed a transition plan with national and international buy-in, including the endorsement of the African Union Peace and Security Council, which forms the basis for a joint United Nations-African Union review this year. We welcome in particular the emphasis that the joint review has placed this year on consultations with the Federal Government. This should be a template for future reviews, and I look forward to further engagement as we continue to implement implement the plan. As we enter a new phase of transition, we are as committed as ever to the Somali security forces assuming responsibility for security in due course, and to gradually taking over the task and posts, such as Mogadishu stadium, from AMISOM. While the transition may take many years, it will enable detailed planning to take place in a realistic time frame and help to monitor progress and adjust plans accordingly. In addition to beginning the implementation of the priority location, as set out in the plan, the first phase lays the foundation for longer-term capacity-building over the next few years. Among other tasks, this includes enhanced support for the regional security council, rewriting the Somali military discipline code and strengthening the community policing services in selected population centeres. Having said that, partnership will be key to a successful transition. Somalia will need continued partnership with the countries that contribute police and troops to AMISOM, but it will also need the partnership and support of donors to align the national security architecture in light of the outcome of the operational readiness assessment. This will help in building a professional, inclusive security sector capable of providing security so that Somalis can go about their everyday lives free from the threat of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, while providing the country with a secure border and coastline. I would like to express my gratitude to AMISOM troop-contributing countries for their commitment and enormous contribution over more than a decade in Somalia. Their deployment has created the space for political progress, for humanitarian relief efforts and for Somalia’s political and State institutions to grow. There is no doubt that without their support and sacrifice, we would not have managed to degrade Al-Shabaab and accomplish what we have in such a short period. The logistical support that the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) has provided to the African Union Mission in Somalia under the Security Council’s mandate is crucial to my country. While the situation has improved recently, the Support Office needs to provide an appropriate level of funding to fill the gaps in logistics and equipment for AMISOM, which is underfunded, understaffed and unequipped. We look forward to AMISOM’s operational readiness assessment and reconfiguration to support the implementation of the transitional plan. We welcome the recommendation of the joint review and agree that AMISOM sector 6 should be closed and subsumed into section 2 with a view to forming a multinational sector in Jubbaland that is accountable and capable of assisting the Federal Government of Somalia and federal member states in implementing the total ban on the export of charcoal from Somalia, including by facilitating access of the monitors to the charcoal export ports. Somalia’s health-care system is very fragile and we very are very concerned that a cholera outbreak might take place if we do not control the financial and human resources. The presence of AMISOM camps around the cities — big cities, especially — without any environmental management policies adds a serious challenge to our Government and a greater burden on our health systems. Internal report 2017/145 of the Office of Internal Oversight Services revealed horrific environmental and health practices. In that regard, we kindly ask UNSOS to urgently implement the recommendations of the internal audit. I wish to commend the efforts of the Swedish Government to provide UNSOS with an environmental expert for one year. That measure can mitigate the risk of environmental pollution and prevent the spread of a cholera epidemic or any other disease related to the absence of environmental experts and the proper waste management of AMISOM camps near the towns and big cities of Somalia In conclusion, the Somali Government, under the leadership of President Farmajo and Prime Minister Khayre, will spare no effort to assume full responsibility at all levels in order to provide the Somali people with the security opportunities necessary for social economic progress and the benefits of a society governed by the rule of law. We thank the Council once again for the adoption of the resolution today, and we hope that this spirit of compromise and cooperation will flourish to achieve a successful drawdown.