It gives me great pleasure
to know that a sister from fraternal Bahrain is presiding
over this important session of the General Assembly.
Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa’s leadership will certainly
contribute to promoting dialogue and harmony in the
midst of the spread of conflicts throughout the different
corners of the world. We are confident that she will
successfully guide the deliberations of the Assembly.
Let me also take this opportunity to pay special
tribute to her predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his
commitment and diplomatic skill, which enabled him
to effectively manage the deliberations of the
Assembly. We likewise wish to recognize Secretary-
General Kofi Annan for the immense efforts
undertaken and the commendable services rendered
during his tenure in promoting the maintenance of
peace and security and international cooperation.
I wish at the outset to brief this Assembly in some
detail on the current situation in Somalia. The
establishment of the Transitional Federal Government
of Somalia was the result of the successful peace and
reconciliation process held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2004,
and created a unique opportunity for ending the Somali
political crisis. The Somali people were overjoyed that
a comprehensive settlement of the conflict had finally
been reached.
The advancement and consolidation of peace and
stability requires the unwavering commitment of the
international community to reinforce the Transitional
Federal Government’s national efforts in nation-
building. Regrettably, owing to circumstances not fully
understood by us, the international community failed to
act in a timely fashion to support the new Government
in facing the enormous challenges it confronted.
Consequently, a window of opportunity has been lost,
which has led to continued violence and conflict.
Ironically, the international community’s failure
to act also paved the way for the warlords and other
armed groups to take advantage of a political vacuum,
as they asserted and consolidated their power and clan-
based authority in the capital city, Mogadishu, and its
environs.
Although they had the privilege of holding
important ministerial portfolios in the new
Government, the warlords pursued their hidden agenda
to promote their personal interests and political
ambitions by maintaining the chaotic status quo in
Somalia.
It is noteworthy to bear in mind that the warlords
and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) had initially
combined their forces and political rhetoric as an
opposition alliance group against the Transitional
Federal Government. Both groups were encouraged by
the reluctance of the international community to come
quickly to the aid of the new Somali Government and
by the continuation of the United Nations arms
embargo against Somalia. However, the ICU soon
realized that the warlords were losing popularity
among mainstream Somalis.
At this juncture, the Transitional Federal
Government, though sceptical, responded positively to
the initiative undertaken by the League of Arab States
to convene peace talks and settle the differences
between the parties. The first and second rounds of
those peace talks have successfully taken place in
Khartoum, and both sides have agreed on general
principles and some preliminary issues for the next
round of talks scheduled to be held in Khartoum in
October 2006.
However, as the Islamic Courts Union continued
to rush to consolidate their grip, their concealed
intentions are fast becoming evident to the Somali
people and to the international community. In this
connection, it will be recalled that the ICU continued
with impunity to expand and attack other districts
outside Mogadishu including Jowhar, Balad, and other
adjacent areas. The latest development of the ICU’s
territorial expansion was the ill-advised armed attack
and seizure of the city of Kismayo, in flagrant violation
of the Khartoum Peace Agreement.
29 06-53615
It should also be noted that the President of the
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, Mr.
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, survived a targeted
assassination attempt on 18 September 2006. My
Government firmly believes that this heinous crime is
an act of terrorism aimed at undermining and
sabotaging the peace process in Somalia and should be
condemned in the strongest terms. This heinous attack
resulted in the death of several people, including the
brother of the President. We wish to express our
appreciation to all those delegations and organizations
that expressed their sympathy and condemned this act.
These developments are all disquieting and
disturbing, and the situation is deteriorating to an
alarming degree and at a rapid pace. It continues to
pose a serious threat to the peace that has been
achieved, which has serious implications for the
security and stability of the region.
Despite all these violations of the Peace
Agreement, the Transitional Federal Government
remains committed to the path of dialogue and
negotiation with the ICU and relevant civil society
organizations. But this positive attitude will not
continue if the ICU persists in its aggressive policies of
attacks and territorial expansion.
As I stated earlier, the absence of law and order,
the escalation of violence and the ensuing collapse of
central authority were the major causes for the chaos
and anarchy in Somalia. The main goal of the
Transitional Federal Government is therefore to engage
in an effective, focused plan for the re-establishment of
institutions for peace and good governance in order to
restore normalcy and stability in the country. We
therefore strongly appeal to the international
community to demonstrate a political will and a
commitment to redouble its efforts to provide political,
financial and technical support to the Transitional
Federal Government during this challenging
transitional period.
It goes without saying that the absence of
effective, functioning government institutions capable
of enforcing law and order has been the underlying
cause of the Somali conflict for the past 14 years. At
this crucial juncture, what Somalia urgently needs is
immediate and substantial support for the creation of
an environment conducive to peace and security which
in essence is the key requirement for reconstruction
and economic recovery.
The economic challenges facing the Transitional
Federal Government of Somalia are formidable. The
collapse of the Somali State in 1991 resulted in
extensive destruction of governing and management
institutions which are now being re-established by the
Transitional Federal Government in its post-conflict
reconstruction programmes.
It is deeply disturbing to note that over half a
million children under the age of five die each year
from preventable diseases, malaria being the biggest
killer. Moreover, over 100,000 women die each year
from complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
Despite all these hardships, the Transitional Federal
Government’s economic and social recovery
programmes have received virtually no assistance from
international donors and certainly none commensurate
with the massive needs of the Somali people. For far
too long, Somalia was allowed to struggle alone and
the negative consequences have been monumental.
Somalia can aspire to establish the sufficient
conditions for sustained economic growth by
leveraging its energetic human and social capital.
However, a successful and sustainable reconstruction
and development programme requires the international
community’s support of the Transitional Federal
Government’s determined efforts to wield
administrative authority and develop competence at the
federal, regional and district levels. This situation calls
for a broad-based participatory partnership approach
from the family of nations and for the provision of
technical assistance in the building of efficient
institutions that leverage the resiliency and potential of
the Somali people.
In terms of required relief assistance, it is to be
noted that approximately 1.8 million Somalis are still
in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and
livelihood support. In view of the magnitude of this
challenge, my delegation appeals to the world body
and the donor community to respond positively,
generously and, above all, concertedly in order to meet
Somalia’s humanitarian needs and avert a catastrophe
of major proportions.
In an effort to stabilize Somalia and overcome the
sources of insecurity, the Government has put in place
a well-marshalled National Security and Stabilization
Plan. Both in concept and execution, the plan takes a
holistic approach to the nature and scope of insecurity
in the country. For its implementation, the plan takes
06-53615 30
into consideration local, regional and international
dimensions. Accordingly, it envisions the combined
and concerted local, regional and international efforts
in its execution. However, the realization of this plan
remains elusive insofar as the Government is fragile
and incapable of enforcing the policies and laws of the
land pursuant to the Transitional Federal Charter.
The Transitional Federal Government welcomes
all efforts now being undertaken by the international
community in addressing the new problems and
realities of Somalia. It is important to note that the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
and the African Union have now finalized the details
and salient elements of the IGAD Peace Support
Mission in Somalia. At the international level, it is also
gratifying that the International Contact Group on
Somalia, which was recently established, convened its
second meeting in Brussels to find ways and means to
streamline the international engagement and support
for Somalia. Moreover, on its part, the United Nations
Security Council is in the process of considering
Somalia’s security problems, in particular the lifting of
the United Nations arms embargo and the deployment
of IGASOM to Somalia.
All these combined activities at the regional and
international levels demonstrate the heightened interest
and attention given to Somalia. However, it remains to
be seen whether all these initiatives can be properly
coordinated and directed towards substantially
assisting the Transitional Federal Government in its
daunting task of stabilizing the country. To be
meaningful and effective, the contributions of the
international community must focus, as a matter of
priority, on the fundamental issue of capacity-building
for the Transitional Federal Government institutions,
particularly in the security sector.
It is imperative that the following specific
measures be taken as a matter of urgency:
First, the United Nations arms embargo must be
favourably reviewed and lifted by the Security
Council. Secondly, the IGAD Peace Support Mission
should be deployed as mandated by the African Union
and IGAD. Thirdly, the National Security Forces must
be institutionalized, trained and equipped. Fourthly, the
Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration
Programme must be undertaken throughout Somalia.
It is also of paramount importance that a solid
basis for the Somali public administration be
established and that a modest and lean civil service be
recruited and trained for the various public sector
organs of the State. Regional administrations should be
put in place and federal restructuring drawn and
implemented in conformity with the Transitional
Federal Charter. Finally, immediate efforts should be
exerted for the drafting of the permanent federal
constitution of Somalia so as to pave the way for free
and fair elections after the completion of the
transitional period.
These proposals are aimed at restoring peace and
stability in order to assist the Transitional Federal
Government in establishing functioning and effective
institutions capable of providing essential basic
services to the people. Failure to do so would once
again relegate Somalia to yet another cycle of violence
and anarchy.
We share the desire expressed by many
delegations in this forum to see the United Nations
reinvigorate its role and strengthen its capabilities with
a view to becoming more active and effective. It could
then guarantee the fulfilment of the objectives and
principles that are enshrined in the Charter, so as to
ensure that peace on earth and international
cooperation will continue to prevail for the welfare of
mankind.