The situation in Somalia - Security Council meeting, 8755th meeting

Somalia is dealing with challenges across a range of areas, ranging from political to humanitarian to development - while also responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch for a progress update when the United Nations envoy for the Horn of Africa, James Swan, briefs the UN Security Council on the latest developments.

Report of the United Nations Secretary-General (S/2020/798): https://bit.ly/31ezcTz
UN Special Representative for Somalia James Swan said, "It is of course up to the Somali stakeholders to determine a model that will guide the electoral process, nonetheless, we urge that such a model to arrive at through inclusive dialogue and compromise."

Addressing the Security Council today (20 Aug) in New York, Swan commended the leaders who participated in a meeting in Dhusamareeb this week in an effort to reach a compromise on how to proceed with the 2020-2021 elections. However, he regretted the absence of Puntland President Said Deni and Jubaland President Ahmed Islam Madobe from the important meeting.

On the electoral model, the Special Representiave said, “it should be informed also by principles including that it must preserve the tradition of peaceful rotation in office every four years, be practically implementable, ensure far broader representation than the 2016 model, be inclusive of women, and advance progress toward the goal of one-person-one-vote elections.”

On security in the country, Swan said, “we are now witnessing a worrying upsurge in Al Shabaab attacks, particularly in Mogadishu, but also in several regions.”

He continued, “the vicious Al Shabaab attack on innocent civilians at the Elite Hotel on August 16 was one of an increasing number of recent attacks across Somalia and is a tragic reminder of the continued imperative to improve security in Somalia.”

Swan said that “long-term security of course includes many aspects, such as improved governance and justice systems and inclusive economic development.”

On the humanitarian front, the Special Representative noted that Somalia continues to suffer chronic humanitarian crises, with recurring destructive cycles of floods and drought, compounded this year by desert locusts and COVID-19. More than five million people – one third of Somalia’s population – still require life-saving humanitarian assistance.

Briefing the Council via video link, Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira, Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia said, “the resumption of the dialogue between the Federal Government and the Federal Member States has the real potential to act as a catalyst for achieving critical national priorities.”

He noted that he is “encouraged so far that the resumption of the dialogue has already allowed for Somalis’ stakeholders at all levels to engage in frank and inclusive discussions of such a consensual approach to the issue of elections and its modalities.”

Also briefing the Council was Abukar Dahir Osman, Permanent Representative of the Somali Republic to the United Nations. He reiterated that his Government is “strongly committed to this ambitious peace and stability agenda. And we are making it very clear, very clear strikes towards achieving inclusive politics, strengthen democracy and constructing the very rights-based national institutions that are pillars of a strong society.”

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