Catriona Laing, the leader of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), provided an update to ambassadors on progress in eight different areas, such as politics, security, women’s involvement in politics, and humanitarian issues.

The UN reconfirmed their unwavering support for Somalia’s state-building agenda and emphasized the importance of the Council’s support in achieving success for the country.

“She stated that Somalia’s success in emerging from prolonged conflict and becoming a country that serves its people and promotes positivity in the region is a result of our joint support.”

Solid progress

UNSOM collaborates with the Federal Government of Somalia and its federal member states to aid in national reconciliation and offer guidance on critical matters such as peacebuilding and state-building, as well as fulfilling other assigned duties.

The AU’s ATMIS, which is currently present in the country, is reducing its presence. Somalia has asked for a smaller AU mission that will primarily focus on protection, and is also seeking UN assistance with logistics to improve its national systems and capabilities.

According to Ms. Laing, the Federal Government has successfully advanced in its priorities over the past few months. These accomplishments include finalizing a crucial security plan, becoming a member of the East African Community, and successfully having the Security Council arms embargo lifted.

‘Tragic events’ 

In 2024, the “UN family” in Somalia faced a difficult beginning as they strive to ensure the safe release of personnel who were taken by Al-Shabaab militants on January 10th aboard a UN helicopter.

The next day, a member of the UN Guard Force Unit was fatally injured during an indirect fire attack by Al-Shabaab on the UN compound in Mogadishu’s capital city.

“Even though these heartbreaking incidents have occurred, our main priority is still to assist Somalia in achieving its ambitious goals in the coming year,” she reassured the Council.

Keep the progress going and come to an agreement.

Ms. Laing stated that there is ongoing and heated discussion surrounding a potential new electoral system in Somalia. While the general population is in favor of transitioning to a model where each person has an equal vote, there is also an understanding that the proposed timelines may be too ambitious.

The United Nations is collaborating with governing bodies to create a practical strategy that will sustain progress towards equal representation for each individual. The international organization has also expressed satisfaction with Parliament’s endorsement of the procedural guidelines for altering the constitution.

“It is imperative that we reach a consensus on the electoral framework in an inclusive manner. Additionally, we urge all parties to approach the constitution with a spirit of compromise in order to finalize the process,” she stated.

Somalia’s lack of an established constitution leaves it susceptible to ongoing crises without a set of agreed upon guidelines for resolving them.

Controversial deal  

Ms. Laing shared with the Council that Ethiopia and “Somaliland” have recently entered into a 50-year agreement in which Ethiopia will gain access to 20 kilometers of coastline in exchange for political and economic advantages.

While the complete information is not currently accessible, public statements regarding the MOU have sparked significant negative responses, according to her. Additionally, the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab has been using the situation as a means of recruitment, which is concerning.

“We acknowledge that the intense emotions in Somalia are placing pressure on the Government to take action, and we urge the President to respond with caution,” stated Ms. Laing.

I am repeating the same sentiment as the Secretary-General, who reminded us that the Security Council has consistently emphasized its support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity. The Council has also urged all parties to peacefully and constructively communicate and to avoid making inflammatory statements or taking actions that could worsen tensions.

Combating Al-Shabaab 

Currently, the Government’s main focus is to combat Al-Shabaab, and they are making plans to restart extensive missions after being hindered by heavy rainfall and flooding towards the end of last year.

There have been improvements in stabilizing recently recovered regions, specifically in areas of law and order, government, reconciliation, and essential services. She urged partners to assist UN programs in these areas.

The transfer of security duties to the government in December was a significant symbolic achievement for Somalia. Despite some delays, the second part of the ATMIS reduction was successfully finalized by the end of January.

As preparations are currently being made for a forthcoming mission led by AU, Ms. Laing expressed that adjustments to the withdrawal plans may be necessary to ensure a seamless handover and avoid the creation of a security gap.

Honour the quota 

Another major obstacle that remains is the participation and representation of women in politics. The UN is committed to aiding efforts towards achieving a goal of 30% female parliamentarians.

Ms. Laing has held meetings with female leaders who emphasized the importance of including a 30% minimum requirement in the constitution that is currently being reviewed. They also showed strong support for the principle of one-person, one-vote and strongly opposed the MOU, cautioning that it could lead to conflicts that would disproportionately impact women and girls.

She informed the Council that the humanitarian situation in Somalia continues to be extremely severe. The previous year experienced the most severe drought in many years, which was then followed by intense rainfall and widespread flooding that impacted over 2.4 million individuals.

The humanitarian plan for this year has a budget of $1.6 billion and is intended to aid 5.2 million individuals who are considered most vulnerable. This is a decrease of about 40% from the previous year, but it aligns with a revised strategy that focuses on specific needs due to limited global funding for humanitarian efforts.

The source is the United Nations News website.