S/PV.9177 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/2022/812, 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/2022/716, which contains the text of a letter dated 26 September 2022 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. I also wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2022/766, which contains the text of a letter dated 15 October 2022 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia 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 14 votes in favour, none against and one abstention. The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 2657 (2022). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

Today’s vote sends a powerful message of Security Council support, not just to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), but also to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and all Somalis. UNSOM has played an important role in Somalia since its inception. The recent strategic review found its mandate well aligned with Somalia’s national priorities. Its recommendations will enable the Mission to continue to support Somalia through a new era. The successful conclusion of the electoral process and the peaceful transition of power gives Somalia an opportunity to make progress in achieving its national objectives and in the fight against Al-Shabaab. We encourage all Somalis to work together to seize that opportunity. The United Kingdom will continue to stand with Somalia, and we commend President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s determination to defeat Al-Shabaab. Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Swan for his extraordinary leadership and commitment during this critical transition phase. I also thank all of my colleagues for their engagement on resolution 2657 (2022) and my team for their work.

The United States is pleased to have voted in favour of renewing the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). This is a crucial time for Somalia, and we believe that mandate will further UNSOM’s efforts to support Somalia’s Federal Government as it addresses serious challenges, including responding to an unprecedented drought, ensuring reconciliation among the national Government and federal member states, completing the review of the federal Constitution and achieving debt relief. We are also encouraged by the fact that resolution 2657 (2022) incorporated recommendations from UNSOM’s strategic review, including further coordination between the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia, the United Nations country team and other multilateral and bilateral partners. The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the 29 October terrorist attack by Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu and expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, the Federal Government of Somalia and the people of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Finally, the United States expresses its deep appreciation to Special Representative of the Secretary- General James Swan for his leadership and years of service in Somalia. We are very grateful for his dedicated service in UNSOM and Somalia during such a challenging time.

Kenya enthusiastically voted in favour of resolution 2657 (2022). We thank the United Kingdom and our fellow members of the Security Council for the consultative negotiations that led to the adoption. Kenya is confident that the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), which is anchored in the Secretary- General’s assessment report on the Mission (S/2022/716/ annex), will accelerate the ongoing stabilization efforts and bolster the strong momentum to achieve security and effective governance by the Federal Government of Somalia under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in implementing the Somalia transition plan and the national security architecture, among other initiatives. Kenya condemns in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist attacks by the Al-Qaida affiliate Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu on 29 October. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones, wish a full recovery to those injured and reaffirm our full support for Somalia’s counter-terrorism efforts. Al-Shabaab’s brutal terrorism is intentionally undermining peacebuilding, State building, economic development and humanitarian responses to the greatest drought in decades. Standing against Al-Shabaab means standing for the most vulnerable and for Somalia and the region’s urgent need for security and stability. Members of the Security Council must today ask themselves, how much more brutality do we need to witness without toughening our actions against that group? How many more need to die before we act like it is one of the world’s most atrocious terrorist groups that deserves the toughest measures that the Council can deploy? We must be able to take several actions at the same time. The first is to lend support to Somalia, as we have done by adopting resolution 2657 (2022), which renews the mandate of UNSOM. We must also lend every measure of support to the Government of Somalia, especially at the national level, but also to the federal states. That includes enabling more arms purchases and their effective storage and management in order to enable the military and the police to exceed Al-Shabaab’s level of armaments. We must also simultaneously apply greater pressure on Al-Shabaab through sanctions that frustrate its funding, access to weapons, travel, organizational structure and recruitment. Achieving the two latter actions within the sanctions regime pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) will not be easy, but it must be done. More openness to innovation is needed if we are to undertake efforts commensurate with our outrage over the latest terrorist attack against the innocent. Kenya will continue to play its rightful role as a neighbour and a troop-contributing country in providing the necessary support to peacebuilding and security efforts in Somalia.

Since its establishment, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has made great efforts in promoting the political process and coordinating the support of the international community. China supports the extension of UNSOM’s mandate. However, there is still need for improvement in resolution 2657 (2022) on issues such as the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, climate change and the protection of children, and the future direction of the relevant efforts must be clarified. China therefore abstained in the voting. I would like to emphasize the following points. First, we hope that the Government of Somalia will effectively assume the primary responsibility of maintaining peace and security in the country. The situation in Somalia is currently at a critical stage. Security issues remain the biggest challenge facing Somalia’s Government. On 29 October, Al-Shabaab launched a terrorist attack in Mogadishu, which led to heavy casualties. We strongly condemn such attacks. That incident shows once again that terrorism poses a serious threat to the security situation in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, and that further intensified efforts are needed to combat it. China attaches great importance to the African Union’s position on Somalia and greatly appreciates the efforts and sacrifices of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to improve the situation in the country. AMISOM will remain indispensable for Somalia for some time to come. China hopes that the Somali Government and its security forces will continue to actively cooperate with AMISOM and take concrete measures to implement the security transition plan, fight corruption, strengthen governance and improve livelihoods in order to win the hearts and minds of the population in the recovered areas. Secondly, we hope that the Somali Government will continue to make greater efforts to address humanitarian issues. The current humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa, where Somalia is situated, remains dire. According to a report by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, security issues, bureaucratic and administrative restrictions and inadequate infrastructure are the main obstacles that impede international humanitarian action. We hope that the Somali Government will pay more attention to humanitarian issues and that effective measures will be taken to better ensure the safety and security of vulnerable groups and humanitarian workers, reduce bureaucratic restrictions and provide humanitarian protection. Thirdly, we hope that the Somali Government will continue to strengthen its management of weapons and ammunition. The Secretary-General recently submitted a letter to the Security Council containing recommendations on the sanctions regime and requested that the Somali Government further build its capacity for the management of weapons and ammunition (S/2022/698). In relation to the adjustment of the sanctions regime, the Somali Government must continue to improve its weapons and ammunition management capacities. The Security Council will discuss a draft resolution on the sanctions regime for Somalia next month. China’s position on sanctions has remained clear and consistent. We will actively participate in the discussions to ensure that the relevant mechanisms are aligned with the efforts of Somalia and the international community. I also wish to reiterate that China will continue to support the work of UNSOM and AMISOM.

We welcome the participation in today’s meeting of the Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, Mr. Abukar Dahir Osman. At the outset, allow me to express our sincere condolences to the Government and the people of Somalia following the heinous act of terrorism perpetrated in Mogadishu on 29 October, during which 100 people were killed. Russia resolutely condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and supports the efforts of Somalia to combat that threat. My delegation voted in favour of resolution 2657 (2022), which was just adopted and for which the United Kingdom was the penholder, extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until 31 October 2023. However, we share the view expressed by our Chinese colleagues concerning the imbalanced nature of some of the wording of the resolution, including with respect to humanitarian issues, the protection of children in armed conflict and human rights. We also regret that the resolution does not sufficiently reflect the recommendations of the strategic review of UNSOM and its mandate conducted by the Secretariat’s independent team. The UNSOM mandate has become unbalanced in recent years, which affects the flexibility and efficiency of the work of the special political mission and its ability to respond to the country’s priority issues. We believe that UNSOM should be more closely involved with the country’s priorities and that its work should be clearly evaluated. Respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia must be at the centre of the Mission’s work. We expect to see precisely those principles guiding UNSOM through the new stage of its work. As this is the last official meeting under the Gabonese presidency in October, I would like to congratulate the delegation of Gabon on the imminent conclusion of its term as President of the Security Council. We thank it for its leadership and the hard work undertaken to ensure the continuation of Council activities during a very busy month.

The United Arab Emirates welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2657 (2022) and thanks the United Kingdom, as penholder, for facilitating the inclusive consultations that led to its adoption. In the light of the terrorist attack in Mogadishu on 29 October, during which dozens of innocent people were killed, I would like to express our sincere condolences and sympathy to the Government and the people of Somalia, as well as the victims’ families. We also wish a speedy recovery to all those injured. I stress the United Arab Emirates continued rejection of terrorism in all its forms, wherever it appears. Such events highlight once again the important role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), particularly its support for nation-building efforts and strengthening security and Government institutions with the aim of enabling Somalia to address those complex challenges, foremost of which is the fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Through resolution 2657 (2022), the Council sends an important message: it continues to support the Somali people and it counts on the continuation of UNSOM for providing vital support to Somalia and its efforts to achieve peace and stability in the country. During the negotiations on the mandate, the United Arab Emirates proposed to delete the term “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)” replaced it with the term “Da’esh”. We reiterate that the purpose of that proposed deletion and replacement is to ensure that the Security Council is careful not to give credence to the exploitation by Da’esh and other terrorist groups of the religion of Islam to justify their violence and hate through self-proclaimed Islamic appellations. At this point, we stress once again that there is no connection between Da’esh and Islam. Furthermore, we recall that the Council has emphasized in many of its resolutions that terrorism should not be linked to any religion. Our proposal is also in line with the position of the General Assembly, which has already moved away from using the terms “ISIL” and “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We need to reflect that in the Security Council. In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to Special Representative Swan for his tireless efforts in Somalia. I also commend the efforts of UNSOM and reiterate the United Arab Emirates commitment to supporting peace and stability in Somalia. Finally, I join others in congratulating you, Sir, and the Government of Gabon on an outstanding presidency. We wish your successor the best of luck.

I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on a successful presidency of the Security Council this month. I would also like to thank all those who sent messages of condolence and outpourings of support following the brutal terrorist attack in Mogadishu at the weekend. We are grateful for the solidarity we received from our international friends as we stand together in strong opposition to terrorism everywhere and in all its manifestations. My delegation takes note of resolution 2657 (2022) ,just adopted, on renewing the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). In that regard, I would like to make the following points. First, this is the moment for the United Nations to renew its commitment to the Somali people and at the same time to strengthen coordination and a transparent consistency in the efforts of the different entities and agencies of the United Nations and other regional and international partners. It is essential to create an environment that is conducive to advancing the Government’s efforts to achieve political stability, security and sustainable development in the country. Secondly, the Security Council must strongly uphold the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia. The presence of the United Nations in Somalia should be geared towards safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity. It is also crucial that all necessary efforts continue to be undertaken in line with the shared commitment of the United Nations for a strong and united Somalia. Thirdly, despite the completion of the Secretary- General’s strategic review of UNSOM, the transition from a special political mission to a United Nations country team is not yet well defined. Therefore, UNSOM’s end state must be clear, encompassing a common understanding and the Federal Government of Somalia’s shared vision for an exit strategy. Fourthly, Somali United Nations national professional officers play a crucial role on the ground by facilitating the delivery of the mandate of the United Nations and the African Union in Somalia, in coordination with the national authorities. We remain concerned about the low level of recruitment of Somali national professional officers, especially qualified female candidates for UNSOM, which is less than 10 per cent, surprisingly. The Somali Government recognizes the importance of our women’s equal and meaningful participation in peace processes, peacebuilding and security. Last week’s significant debate on women and peace and security (see S/PV.9158) addressed ways to strengthen women’s leadership and resilience as a path to peace in regions that are plagued by armed groups. Nonetheless, the women and peace and security agenda should be action-oriented and should translate into actionable mechanisms on the ground. I would like to remind the Council that the General Assembly has asked the Secretary-General to consider other options for the nationalization of functions in United Nations operations and make further efforts in national capacity-building, in line with resolution 2628 (2022). The Federal Government of Somalia stands ready to assist UNSOM in the implementation of its nationalization strategy at the Mission level. We look forward to seeing the United Nations put more effort into the nationalization of functions in its operations in Somalia and into women’s contribution to peace and security. In conclusion, we have taken significant steps to achieve peace and stability. While we are optimistic about the significant progress that has been achieved in security matters, we are aware that progress must be consolidated on various fronts, especially in the fight against Al-Shabaab. The Somali Government is defeating Al-Shabaab on many battle fronts in its federal member states, with the strong support of our local populations, and we remain united in that regard.

There are no more names on the list of speakers. As this is the last scheduled meeting of the Council for the month of October, I would like to take the opportunity to express the sincere appreciation of the Gabonese delegation to the members of the Council and the Secretariat for all the support and assistance they have given us. In a particularly busy month, we are pleased to have been able to reach a consensus on several important issues on our agenda. We could not have done it alone. I am grateful for the support and assistance of each delegation and each representative of the Secretariat. I am also grateful to the technical support team, the conference officers, the interpreters, the translators, the verbatim reporters and the security staff. As Gabon ends its presidency, I know I speak on behalf of the Council in wishing the delegation of Ghana good luck in its presidency for the month of November, starting tomorrow. As I bang the gavel for the last time, I would like to say that it has truly been an honour for us. October has been a special time for my country. I want to pay tribute to the leadership of the President of the Gabonese Republic, His Excellency Mr. Ali Bongo Ondimba, and to commend the dynamism of the very strong team that has supported me. I hope that our presidency has made some members want to visit Gabon. And if they do, they will hear our wonderful people say “Thank you” in a variety of beautiful ways in Gabon’s many languages — akiba, abora, levelewe, diboti, akewa, mabweke, ekoba. And I myself thank all of you very much.