Statements Fri. March 20, 2009

MOHAMED ABDULLAHI OMAAR, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, said the new Prime Minister’s new Cabinet had been sworn into office one month ago and given an almost unanimous mandate by Parliament the same day.  The first Cabinet meeting had taken place on 28 February.  The business of Government was now fully under way in Somalia.  Its first and foremost policy was to create peace and security.  That could only be achieved through dialogue, negotiation, the will of compromise and reconciliation.  Since assuming office, the Government had taken four essential steps to lay the foundation for its programme of peace and reconciliation.

It had immediately and irreversibly assumed the seat of Government in the capital, Mogadishu, he said.  It had integrated the Transitional Federal Government and ARS forces into the joint security forces.  That had been successful and effective in rebuilding national security forces that were essential for peace and stability, as well as for reconciliation within State institutions.  It had mobilized the Somali people -- including major stakeholders like merchants, clan elders, religious leaders, women and youth -- to support the peace process.

It had also re-established State authority and the rule of law in the economy, beginning with the assumption of full authority over Mogadishu Port and Airport, the country’s main sea and air entry points, he continued.  Both had been restructured with new administrations and internationally acceptable operational procedures, and they were two new sources of internal revenue for the Government.  The fifth and most recent initiative had been the re-establishment of Somalia’s dialogue with the international community through the International Contact Group, the Arab League, the African Union and through bilateral discussions in the subregion with Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda undertaken through presidential visits to those countries in the last 12 days.

There were no warlords today in Somalia, he said.  There were no clan wars. There were no political factions holding the country hostage.  Some, however, still refused the offer of peace and dialogue.  He reconfirmed that Sharia was the source of law, as set forth by clause 8 of the Federal Transitional Government’s Charter and it would remain so for the proposed Constitution now being prepared.  “Yet, we remain ready to negotiate.  But we will only do so across the table.  The gun must be put away,” he said.  The Somali Government was focused and had set its targets for the first 100 days.  Its responsibility was to provide credibility, coherence and competence in governance.  That could only be built in partnership and collaboration with the international community.  He called on Member Governments and other multilateral institutions to support the Government with urgent and immediate action.

The Government’s security and peacekeeping strategy was based on the twin pillars of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the joint security forces, he said.  The Government requested the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the Governments of Burundi and Uganda to urgently send three additional battalions.  That must be undertaken immediately with improved equipment, logistics and medical facilities.  The joint security forces were not funded, resourced or equipped, but they were an essential partner for AMISOM for peacekeeping, and without those forces operational, AMISOM and the peacekeeping mission would be hampered.  He welcomed and supported the commitment to set up a United Nations peacekeeping operation for Somalia and he confirmed that a significant number of the benchmarks detailed in the Secretary-General’s report were already in place.  The 22 April pledging conference was crucial for providing resources to the security sector.

He stressed the need for the international community to work with the various organs of the Government of national unity, however fragile, and to respect its dignity and sovereignty.  Everyone needed to make adjustments in attitudes and operational habits and procedures.  Such adjustments must be telescoped into capacity-building resources for Government institutions.  Personnel in Government ministries and departments needed training and expertise to re-establish effective operations for the delivery of public services and administrative governance at the federal and local level.  More than 3 million people would need humanitarian assistance due to displacement and drought.  Of that total, 580,000 were internally displaced persons near Mogadishu.  That was a danger to human life that could be averted, and a danger to the peace and stability that were sought.

Defeating piracy in Somalia required the restoration of the rule of law, he said.  Since piracy’s origin and base was on land, defeating piracy could only be done in partnership with the Government.  Some 111 piracy attacks had occurred in 2008 and 7 so far in 2009.  The Somali Government was ready, willing and able to integrate the required actions against piracy into the twin pillars of its security development and stabilization programme.  He looked to the international community for an immediate agreed plan for implementation.  In the south-central regions of Somalia, the momentum for peace had created a new mainstream.  Somalia was no longer caught in the stalemate of conflict between factions of approximately equal weight.  The mainstream was led by the Government.  It had gained credibility with the Somali people.  It was establishing coherence through State institutions that must be empowered.  Most of all, however, it needed resources to govern competently.