S/PV.9009 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/2022/277, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 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 2628 (2022). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The United States was pleased to vote in favour of resolution 2628 (2022) today. We appreciate the extraordinary efforts of our United Kingdom colleagues to produce a quality mandate for the reconfigured mission in Somalia. We would like to take a moment to recognize and honour the sacrifices made by the forces of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) since its creation in 2007. It is rare that the Council gets the opportunity to help shape the transition of a mission. The United States voted in favour of the resolution because it provides a vital opportunity to build on AMISOM’s efforts and take the next steps to roll back Al-Shabaab, enabling Somalia to provide the security and stability required for the Somali people to achieve their aspirations. We applaud the efforts of the federal Government of Somalia, the African Union and other stakeholders to develop a proposal and a concept of operations that provide a credible, shared vision of how to more actively counter Al-Shabaab and transition the responsibility for security to the Somali security forces. The United States supported the adoption of this resolution because we appreciate and support measures in the mandate to increase accountability, transparency, command-and-control and mission efficiency. Al-Shabaab is a formidable and adaptable threat to Somalia and to East Africa more broadly. As Al-Qaeda’s largest and best-financed affiliate, Al-Shabaab represents a threat that requires a vigorous and broad-based response. The mandate of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia provides the opportunity to adapt and reinvigorate the African-led international effort against Al-Shabaab.

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has played an important role in providing an enabling security environment in Somalia, including in containing Al-Shabaab and terrorist attacks. That remains important not just for Somalia but for the wider Horn of Africa region. India commends and pays tribute to all AMISOM troop- and police-contributing countries for their sustained commitment and the sacrifices they have made. India has been a steadfast supporter of AMISOM since its inception and has regularly contributed to the trust fund. India has made a significant contribution to peacekeeping in Somalia through its involvement in the United Nations Operation in Somalia II in 1993 and 1994. Twelve Indian soldiers have laid down their lives while keeping the peace in Somalia. Resolution 2628 (2022), adopted today, has set in motion the process of a phased handover of responsibilities to Somalia’s security forces by reconfiguring AMISOM as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. This is in line with the proposal submitted to the Security Council by the Secretary- General and produced jointly with the African Union, in consultation with the federal Government of Somalia and other stakeholders. The African Union Transition Mission in Somali has several onerous responsibilities, primarily to reduce the threat posed by the terror group Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab remains largely responsible for numerous civilian casualties and human rights violations, including attacks on women and children. During the transition, the Somali people need the international community’s continued attention and support in dealing with a terrorist group like Al-Shabaab. A zero-tolerance approach to terrorism must guide our way forward. However, with regard to climate change, we remain fundamentally opposed to the persistent attempts in the Security Council to link climate change to security. We have repeatedly mentioned that the Security Council is not the place to discuss climate change. By linking it to security, a great disservice is being done to the principles agreed in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which remains the primary intergovernmental forum to discuss all aspects related to climate change.

Albania would like to thank the United Kingdom, as penholder, for its hard work in drafting the comprehensive resolution 2628 (2022) and for leading the challenging negotiations. We welcome the unanimous adoption of the resolution, which authorizes the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), the successor of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), to carry out its mandate to combat the threat posed by Al-Shabaab, to support the capacity-building of the integrated Somali security and police forces, and to conduct a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somalia. It is of absolute importance that the Security Council succeed in demonstrating its renewed support for Somalia by endorsing the decision to reconfigure AMISOM into the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. At the same time, we commend AMISOM for its contribution and the sacrifice of its personnel, who, along with their Somali partners, have fought to build lasting peace and stability in Somalia for 15 years, since the Mission was first authorized. As we noted in the Council last week (see S/PV.9001), the security situation is Somalia has changed significantly through the years, but in a dramatic turn of events Al-Shabaab has managed in recent months to heighten its ability to commit repeated attacks against security forces and, unfortunately, against civilians and civilian infrastructure. In this regard, we reiterate our call on the Government of Somalia to complete the elections in a credible and inclusive manner, guaranteeing women and youth the right to participation and representation. It is crucial that the newly-elected Government turn its focus on the deteriorating security situation, to the undertaking of reforms and to the humanitarian crisis caused by unprecedented droughts, which threaten to plunge the population into another famine. Further delays will give Al-Shabaab more time to overshadow the Government’s efforts to provide peace and prosperity and will fuel Al-Shabaab’s propaganda as an alternative to a democratically elected Government. In the end, it is incumbent upon the Somalis themselves to create the conditions for long-term stability in their country. Albania stands by the Somali people. We reiterate our full support for their efforts to make Somalia safer, peaceful and prosperous. Lastly, we welcome those partners and donors that have shown their firm support for Somalia through ATMIS. We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that the Mission has a sufficiently robust mandate to fulfil its role and on the ground.

China voted in favour of resolution 2628 (2022). The current situation in Somalia remains challenging. The international community must maintain its support to Somalia on the security front. During its 15-year deployment in Somalia, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has been an important contributor to security and stability in the country. China would like to pay tribute to the African Union (AU) and the troop- and police-contributing countries for their contributions and sacrifices. Following a period of intensive consultations, the stakeholders, including Somalia, the AU and the United Nations, agreed on the future arrangements for AMISOM, namely, for AMISOM to be replaced by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). China supports the Council’s development of a mandate for ATMIS in accordance with the United Nations-AU joint proposal and the AU Peace and Security Council communiqué. We hope that all the parties concerned will strengthen coordination in the process of the ATMIS mandate implementation and work closely with the Somali Government to help it gradually assume the primary responsibility for national security.

We do not usually make explanations of vote on resolutions adopted by consensus. But in this case, I want to thank Security Council members for their support in the adoption of landmark resolution 2628 (2022). I want to pay tribute to the troop- and police-contributing countries that served in the African Union Mission in Somalia and all those that paid with the ultimate sacrifice. I want to thank in particular those partners  — the Somali Government, the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union — that contributed to developing the proposal for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia and to continue the transition in the fight against Al-Shabaab. And finally, I want to pay tribute to my team and all the experts who worked tirelessly to get us to where we are.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates welcomes the Security Council’s unanimous adoption of today’s resolution 2628 (2022), which supports the resolution by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to reconfigure the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) into the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), while maintaining its important work of providing security support to Somalia. This resolution, which is the result of intense consultations among the Somali Government, the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union, reflects significant consensus on the need to reconfigure AMISOM so as to focus on supporting the process of enabling the security transition in Somalia. In that regard, we would like to commend the quartet for its steadfast commitment and participation in the reconfiguration of AMISOM. We also commend the efforts by the United Kingdom, as the penholder, and thank all the members of the Security Council for proposing this resolution and adopting it. However, we note the many security challenges facing Somalia, mainly the recurrent attacks by the terrorist Al-Shabaab movement, which also constitutes to be a cross-border threat for the entire region. Therefore, the reference in today’s resolution to the main Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism, including resolution 1337 (2001), is important. In that context, we would like to stress the commitments by Member States to prevent any activities by the Al-Shabaab movement or other terrorist groups and to fight them wherever they are in line with other counter-terrorism resolutions where those commitments apply, even if those groups are not listed on the sanctions regime list concerning the Da’esh and Al-Qaida organizations. For its part, the United Arab Emirates supports promoting the capacities of the security institutions of Somalia to address the Al-Shabaab movement and other challenges. We hope that, with the adoption of this mandate, ATMIS will be able to provide the necessary support for Somalia in order to better address the security challenges and achieve stability in line with the needs and aspirations of the people. In conclusion, we would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the efforts and sacrifices of AMISOM, which contributed with its personnel over the previous 15 years to making Somalia more secure and stable. We join colleagues in the Security Council in stressing our shared commitment to achieving peace in Somalia. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

I would like to extend to you, Madam President, and to the United Arab Emirates delegation our best wishes and warmest congratulations on the success of your presidency of the Security Council for this month. The Federal Government of Somalia acknowledges the receipt of the final draft of resolution 2628 (2022), on the mandate of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The Federal Government of Somalia expresses its concern over the decision to disregard some important inputs and suggestions made by Somalia during the negotiation phase of the new ATMIS resolution. Despite negotiating in good faith and formally transmitting Somalia’s technical and tactical inputs on the modalities of the new Mission in Somalia, in particular on the logistical support plan, the need for unified and centralized command and control and the exclusion of the agreed enhanced civilian component and modality, it is with deep regret that those three issues were disregarded by the drafters this resolution. From the outset, it is worth noting that the purpose and the objective behind the Federal Government of Somalia’s call for the proposed change in the previous mandate. Through various independent and impartial assessments conducted jointly by the Federal Government of Somalia, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations, we collectively recognize that Al-Shabaab is a terrorist group that has evolved into an organized criminal enterprise. The insurgent and terrorist threat in Somalia is consistently evolving and at an unprecedented pace. Al-Shabaab continues to rely on asymmetrical warfare tactics, attacking the Somali national armed forces, allied and friendly forces and civilians with tactical agility and mobility. Over the past 15 years, Al-Shabaab has continued to pose a significant threat through the groups Amniyat units, increasingly responding to the changes and specializing in suicide attacks, which comprise the most prominent type of improvised explosive device attacks. However, in the past decade or so, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has been conducting joint operations with the Somali security forces across vast areas in the scattered forward operating bases, with limited tactical cooperation and without the immediate and available agile forces required to join the operation. That has impeded the Somali forces’ operational capability and tactical agility, hindering the holding of locations cleared of Al-Shabaab. To address this evolving threat, especially over the long-term, the Federal Government of Somalia decided to take action and respond to the evolving threat by calling for a change in the modalities and operations of the new Mission and calling for a new Mission that focuses on conducting effective, agile and mobile operations. Somalia welcomed resolution 2568 (2021), whereby AMISOM was mandated to provide mobile capabilities to assist the Somali security forces’ posture in becoming more offensive with one designated AMISOM mobile reserve forces per sector, capable of acting as a quick- reaction force and operating across sector boundaries with other forces, by the end of August 2021. However, upon closer scrutiny, we noted that only one sector was successfully mobilized. Moreover, AMISOM’s delay in generating the expected number of mobile reserve forces hindered the consolidation of the gains that had already been made in joint operations, increasing the threat posed by Somalia’s adversary. In addition, the threat posed by Al-Shabaab has been further exacerbated by the limited movement between forward operating bases (FOBs), which has given Somalia’s adversaries the freedom of movement and ability to disrupt free passage on the main supply routes, especially in the supply route between Mogadishu and Baidoa and the supply route between Jowhar and Jalalaqsi. The limited movement between the FOBs has increased the already significant threat to progress that there had been in key strategic locations. This was further worsened by the lack of centralized command and control within AMISOM, with sectors taking decisions based on their respective troop- contributing countries’ directions, which increased the susceptibility of some contingents to volatile political dynamics that are hindering Somalia’s stabilization efforts, further undermining the United Nations mandate requirement for an apolitical centralized AMISOM command and control. To appropriately meet the evolving threat, especially over the long term, the Federal Government of Somalia decided to address the recurring and persistent failures to replace AMISOM with the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, by duly articulating in the guiding strategic document of the security transition plan, the joint Federal Government of Somalia-AU concept of operation (CONOPS) in bilateral and multilateral negotiations and agreements and in several official communiqués to both the Security Council and AU Peace and Security Council. The effective execution of the Somali transition plan and the joint Federal Government of Somalia-AU CONOPS requires a new mission that plays a supporting and enabling role through specialized training, provisions of mobile forces and high-end capability, notably in engineering, countering improvised explosive devices, casualty evacuation, logistics and intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance. It is worth noting that, as the new Mission assumes a supporting and enabling role under the new mandate, the Somali security forces will be conducting both independent and simultaneous operations in addition to the planned joint operations with ATMIS as the new Mission embarks on its supporting and enabling role. I would like to remind the Council members that this leaves the Somali security forces, which are indeed conducting independent and simultaneous operations with ATMIS, with little to no logistical support. This should be a cause for concern for us all. Resolution 2628 (2022) takes note of the exit strategy and the end state articulated in the joint Federal Government of Somalia-AU CONOPS and security transition plan and the gradual and conditions-based transfer of the security responsibility from ATMIS to the Somali security forces. However, it is necessary to note the contradiction in setting forth an exit strategy without properly addressing the logistical support that is required to fully realize this objective. We all have the collective responsibility to ensure that the Somali security forces are well equipped and resourced in order to undertake the activities outlined in the joint Federal Government of Somalia-AU CONOPS and the Somali transition plan. I would like Council members to recognize this important contradiction and ensure that the dearth of support for Somali security forces neither hampers the planned military and non-military operations and activities nor results in undoing the gains we have already made. Currently, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) is mandated to provide non-lethal support to 13,900 Somali security forces personnel  — 12,900 of whom are in the National Army and 1,000 of whom are in the Somali National Police. Somalia appreciates the general support from our partners that have made voluntary contribution to the dedicated United Nations trust fund in support of the Somali security forces. Somalia calls on the entire international community, in particular the Security Council, to ensure that the support for the Somali security forces is sustainable and predictable. Nevertheless, in the light of the changes addressed in the mandate of the new Mission, it is important that we address the three key challenges that our security forces are facing under the technical arrangement of the UNSOS trust fund. First, the logistical tempo has been remarkably slower than the operational requirements. Secondly, there is no logistical support other than designated and allocated support for the Somali security forces. Thirdly, and finally, the depletion of the UNSOS trust fund remains a cause for concern in terms of the ability of UNSOS both to sustain the scope of support that is needed and to provide sustainable and predictable funding for the supported personnel. Moreover, Somalia urges the Security Council to consider increasing non-lethal support for the number of Somali security forces personnel who are eligible to receive support under the UNSOS trust fund pursuant to the requirement that the forces be integrated, mobilized and generated and that they realize the drawdown of ATMIS personnel. Somalia stresses that the lack of predictable and sustainable funding for its security forces will hamper the delivery on and implementation of the Somali transition plan and the joint Federal Government of Somalia-AU CONOPS. A second issue we wish to address is the exclusion of the agreed enhanced civilian component, which was supposed to have Somali nationals comprise 30 per cent of the new mission staff in all categories, which had been agreed by the Federal Government and the AU with a view towards an effective security transition in Somalia. Allow me also to address a third issue that Somalia takes note of in resolution 2628 (2022) on the mandate of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. Somalia believed that a Security Council resolution should recognize the importance of the new Mission having a clear command-and-control structure, with an empowered force headquarters having operational command over forces so as to ensure strategic coherence in implementation of the Somali transition plan and the joint CONOPS. In order to facilitate effective operation, all troop-contributing countries in the ATMIS structure should formally agree for their troops to be under the full operational command of the ATMIS force commander. Having reflected on the command-and-control issues that marked the outgoing African Union Mission in Somalia, the Federal Government of Somalia agreed in good faith with the AU that the force commander shall hail from the country contributing the largest number of troops. This approach is based on our 15 years of experience and contextual lessons learned concerning the shortfalls of the past Mission. We must address this issue in order to effectively execute the planned military operation across Somalia and ensure that the conflict in Somalia is not subject to politicization as a result of lack of command and control in the African Union force and the troop-contributing countries. Notwithstanding the authority of the force commander in relation to the various ATMIS contingents, the planning and execution of the operation should be guided, monitored and evaluated by the Somali Transition Plan Strategic Steering Committee, as noted in resolution 2628 (2022). This is to ensure that such efforts are in line with the strategic objectives, priorities and end state of the Mission as agreed jointly between the Federal Government of Somalia, the African Union and more broadly the wider international community. Somalia requested the Security Council to appropriately address these three issues in the resolution on the ATMIS mandate so as to realize a successful achievement of the end state and ultimately for effective change to materialize through this new Mission. In so doing, the Council will also ensure that the resolution is aligned with Somalia’s guiding strategic document on security, the Somali transition plan and the joint Federal Government of Somalia- AU CONOPS. In this regard, and finally, we want to acknowledge and express appreciation for the fact that some of our suggestions have already been considered and thank the cooperation and the engagement of the penholder and other Council members for the breadth of their support for the Federal Government of Somalia. The Federal Government of Somalia looks forward to closely working with the AU and the United Nations in ensuring effective establishment of ATMIS in the next two years.