S/PV.9359 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/2023/474, 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 2687 (2023). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

On behalf of the three African members of the Security Council (A3) — Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique  — we thank the United Kingdom for its efforts in facilitating consensus on the text of resolution 2687 (2023), which was just unanimously adopted. We welcome the extension of the mandate of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) until December 2023 and believe that it will provide a third period for ATMIS and the Federal Government of Somalia to prepare for phase 2 of the drawdown of ATMIS troops. The situation in Somalia is at a critical point. The mandate renewal should therefore be effectively implemented to support the Federal Government of Somalia, and ATMIS and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in delivering on their respective mandates, as per the agreed timeline and road map, while taking into consideration the need to preserve the security gains. In that regard, we look forward to receiving the joint technical assessment to evaluate phase 1 of the drawdown, as well as the update on the preparations for phase 2. To ensure a well- coordinated and reality-based drawdown, the lessons learned from phase one should consequently inform our action. The Council’s unanimous support for resolution 2687 (2023) reflects our common commitment to a successful security transition in Somalia, in particular on the fight against terrorism and building up the capacities of the Somali security forces to take over security responsibilities from ATMIS. In that regard, the A3 welcomes the increased support for enablers and force multipliers, both of which are vital to the ability of ATMIS to carry out its mission in support of the Somali security forces. We recognize the negative impact of the arms embargoes imposed on Somalia since 1992. We reiterate the calls of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the Federal Government of Somalia for the total lifting of the current embargo in order to allow Somali security forces to acquire the necessary lethal capabilities to effectively combat Al-Shabaab and provide long-term peace and stability in Somalia. We reiterate that the success of ATMIS is dependent upon the availability of adequate funding. We therefore call for the necessary funding for ATMIS to enable it to achieve its mandate, including ensuring a smooth transfer of security responsibilities to Somali security forces. We encourage continued support for Somalia to ensure the security of the country and the stability of the region.

The Russian Federation voted in favour of resolution 2687 (2023), prepared by our British colleagues, on the extension of the mandates of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the United Nations Support Office for Somalia (UNSOS) for six months. We fully support the work of African peacekeepers, who remain critical to ensuring security in Somalia and containing the threat from Al-Shabaab. We categorically condemn all terrorist attacks and pay tribute to ATMIS and the Somali National Army, including those service personnel who gave their lives in the fight against that group. We welcome the logistical assistance provided by UNSOS. At the same time, we must admit that, despite some results from the offensive operations by Somalia and ATMIS, Al-Shabaab elements still maintain a strong position in the country. The number of terrorist attacks with the use of improvised explosive devices in the first quarter of this year exceeded the statistics from all recent years. In that regard, the withdrawal of the African peacekeeping mission from Somalia should not be rushed. Reductions to its contingent should be carried out depending on the real state of affairs on the ground. Creating a security vacuum is unacceptable. The main task at this stage is to focus the efforts of the international community on improving the effectiveness of federal law enforcement agencies and the final defeat of extremists. To do that, African peacekeepers must have the necessary resources and space so that the Somalis can step up the process of strengthening the capacity of their armed forces, which is impossible without a review of the arms embargo.

I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

The Federal Government of Somalia takes note of the just adopted resolution 2687 (2023) and welcomes the renewal of the mandate of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) for six months. In that regard, I would like to make the following points. The ongoing Somali-led offensive military operations have resulted in heavy losses among, and vast territorial gains from, Al-Shabaab. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Somali men and women in uniform and to honour the sacrifices they are making to keep Somalia stable and secure. As stated by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud last week in the Security Council (see S/PV.9356), the Somali Government is committed to assuming full security responsibility from ATMIS within the agreed timelines and in line with relevant Security Council resolutions. The planning and implementation of the drawdown of ATMIS forces are being executed in close coordination with the joint technical committee. In particular, phase 1 of the drawdown, of 2,000 ATMIS troops, is nearing completion, and the Somali National Armed Forces are assuming responsibility for four forward operating bases, while collapsing three others. In the next six months, we will undertake the necessary preparations, in coordination with African Union, to implement the phase 2 drawdown, of 3,000 ATMIS troops, by September. The timely delivery of the gradual transfer of security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali security forces is contingent upon the availability of the requisite operational capabilities to Somali security forces. In that regard, the partial United Nations arms embargo on Somalia hinders the ability of the Federal Government of Somalia to adequately resource its security forces in order to counter the evolving threat from Al-Shabaab. Furthermore, maintaining the arms embargo on Somalia is creating logistical and operational military challenges, which can allow Al-Shabaab to regroup and adapt. Therefore, I reiterate Somali Government’s call for the urgent full lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia. In conclusion, we are committed to assuming full security responsibility from ATMIS by 2024 and to paving the way for its successful exit from Somalia. We firmly believe that the long-standing imposition of sanctions on Somalia cannot be an end in itself. We urge Council members to carefully re-evaluate the arms embargo’s objectives and its unintended consequences on Somalia’s longer peace and stability. I cannot end my statement without thanking all the troop-contributing countries that have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to restore peace and security in my country.