A Week in the Horn

In advance of the AU Summit, the International Contact Group on Somalia held a meeting in the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa for the first time. The ICG has previously provided a forum for discussion; this meeting, however, moved significantly beyond this to plan for concrete assistance to the TFG. It also agreed to expand membership of the group to include all stakeholders. The meeting was given a detailed briefing by Prime Minister Nur Hassan ‘Adde’ on political and security progress as well as the efforts made by his cabinet for reconciliation and dialogue. He emphasized that the Charter and the Transitional Federal Institutions provided a legitimate and viable framework for the process of re-establishing governance structures in Somalia. He detailed his government’s priorities and its action plan to address security, reconciliation, the humanitarian situation, the political road map and institutional development. The ICG welcomed the plans of Prime Minister Nur ‘Adde’. Co-chair Dr. Jendayi Frazer, US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, presented a proposal to restructure the ICG and strengthen its organization, flexibility and effectiveness. The proposal, accepted by the meeting, included the creation of ‘cluster groups’ to cover humanitarian responses, security and stability, political outreach, and the facilitation of key TFG concerns. Essentially, the proposal provides for a mechanism to support TFG efforts in the implementation of the proposed action plan. ICG members also pledged to co-ordinate their efforts and agreed to avoid the proliferation of initiatives which has had the effect of undermining attempts to solve Somalia’s problems. The meeting underlined the need for a UN deployment in Somalia, to address humanitarian problems, to continue to fight terrorism and piracy, ensure the implementation of the arms embargo, and assist in governance and the provision of social services.
In its subsequent communiqué, on Wednesday, the Contact Group welcomed the appointment of Prime Minister Nur ‘Adde’ and his new cabinet, the relocation of the TFG to Mogadishu, and the deployment of a Burundi battalion for AMISOM. The Burundi battalion has been deployed around the former US embassy compound in Mogadishu. It welcomed the recent release of detainees, including Ahmed Dirie Ali, spokesman for the Hawiye Leadership Council, whom leaders of the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, based in Eritrea, claimed had been killed. In its communiqué, the ICG emphasized the need for all Somalis to remain focused on the process leading to national elections next year, and welcomed the commitment of the Prime Minister to political dialogue and the transitional process. It urged all Somali stakeholders to distance themselves from extremist elements. The ICG expressed its concern over the humanitarian situation and reiterated its willingness to help build the capacity of the TFG. It noted that the “full and timely deployment of AMISOM and the strengthening of Somali security institutions will help create conditions for Ethiopia’s withdrawal from Somalia”. The ICG also joined the AU in calling for urgent planning and deployment of a United Nations mission to Somalia to take over from AMISOM. In a joint press statement on Thursday, the then AU Peace and Security Commissioner, Said Djinnit, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, and Norwegian Ambassador Kjell Herald Dalen, underlined that it was time for the international community to redeem the pledges it had made to the Somali peace process.

somalia Ministry of Foreign Affairs