IGAD Communique on Somalia
Thursday, 21 May 2009
COMMUNIQUE OF THE 33RD EXTRA-ORDINARY SESSION
(EXTRA-ORD. No. 1) OF THE IGAD COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ON THE SECURITY AND
POLITICAL SITUATION IN SOMALIA
The 33rd Extra-ordinary Meeting (Extra-ordinary No. 1) of the IGAD Council of
Ministers was convened at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 20th May 2009 to discuss the
developments in Somalia since the 32nd Extra-ordinary Session held on 27th
January 2009 and to chart the way forward. The Council was chaired by H.E.
Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia and the current Chairperson of the IGAD Council of
Ministers. The Council received briefs from the Somali delegation and the IGAD
Facilitator for the Somali Peace and Reconciliation Process. The meeting was
attended by H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Djibouti; H.E. Moses Wetangula, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Kenya; H.E. Sherif Hassan, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Finance of the Transitional Federal Government of
Somalia; H.E. Elsamani Elwasila, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Sudan, H.E. Sam Kutesa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Uganda; H.E. Mahboub M. Maalim, Executive Secretary of IGAD,
and H.E. Kipruto arap Kirwa, IGAD Facilitator for Somalia Peace and
National Reconciliation.
The meeting was also attended by H.E. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the
African Union Commission; H.E. Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, the UN Special
Representative of the Secretary General of the UN to Somalia; and H.E.
Raffaele de Lutio, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy and Chair of IGAD
Partners Forum, and H.E. Ahmed Salah-Eldin Noah, Ambassador and Permanent
Representative of the League of Arab States to the Federal Democratic Republic
of Ethiopia, AU and UNECA.
After deliberating at length on the prevailing political and security
situation in Somalia, the Council:
1. Notes with grave concern the current aggression in Somalia
that has resulted in hundreds of deaths and the displacement of thousands of
people, which has partly been exacerbated by an influx of foreign armed
aggressors on Somalia.
2. Recognizes the fact that the assailants have used the porous
borders of Somalia especially the airports at KM 50 and KM 90 to receive
supplies of arms and ammunition, and personnel from their foreign backers, in
this regard calls upon the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone,
except for humanitarian purposes authorized by the government, on the airports
of Kismayo, Baidoa, KM 50, Balidoogle, Waajid, Hudur, all airports in Gedo
Region, Isaley and Johwar.
3. Calls upon the UN Security Council to impose a blockade on sea
ports particularly Kismayo and Merka to prevent the further in-flow of arms and
foreign fighters, in this regard urges the UNSC to reach out to the
international naval forces present in the region to enforce the blockade.
4. Condemns the acts of destructive forces in particular Al
Shabaab and Hizbul Islam (Islamic Party), and other such groups and warlords who
continue to wage destructive wars in Somalia.
5. Condemns also in the strongest terms possible all the
individuals, organizations and countries in particular the Government of Eritrea
and its financiers who continue to instigate, recruit, train, fund and supply
the criminal elements in and or to Somalia.
6. Condemns further acts of the Government of Eritrea calling for
the overthrow of the TFG and attacks on AMISOM which are acts of aggression
against a sovereign country and legitimate government and forces, and calls upon
the UN Security Council (UNSC) to impose sanctions on the Government of Eritrea
without any delay.
7. Reaffirms its commitment to ensure support through all necessary
means for the TFG and the formation of its institutions and reiterates
the fact that it is only the rebuilding through recruiting, training and
equipping of the Somali Security Forces (SSFs) that will ensure the long-term
stability of Somalia and in this connection affirms the readiness of the member
states to provide all the necessary assistance which will be an added impetus
against the war on piracy.
8. Welcomes the decision of the Peace and Security Council of the
African Union as contained in the Communiqué issued on 11th March 2009 to extend
the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for a further three
months beginning on 17th March 2009, and calls on the PSC of the AU to
renew the mandate of AMISOM at its expiry and to strengthen the said mandate and
rules of engagement of the mission.
9. Welcomes further the establishment of a UN Trust Fund to
provide support to AMISOM as envisaged by UN Security Council Resolution 1863 of
16th January 2009, and requests its immediate implementation.
10. Expresses appreciation to all the countries and organizations
who made pledges in cash and in-kind in support of the Somalia Security
Institutions (SSIs) and AMISOM at the International Pledging Conference held in
Brussels Belgium on 22nd-23rd April 2009, and calls for the speedy
disbursement of pledges and the coordination of efforts and resources in the
rebuilding of the SSIs.
11. Notes that the UNSC arms embargo does not apply to the TFG.
12. Expresses appreciation to the troop contributing countries to
AMISOM namely; Uganda and Burundi for the sacrifices they continue to make to
advance the cause of peace and stability in Somalia, welcomes the
announcement by the government of Sierra Leone that it will be contributing a
battalion of troops to AMISOM as well as pledges made by Nigeria and Ghana, and
other AU member states towards the same endevour, and urges all the other
countries who have pledged to contribute troops towards AMISOM to deploy their
troops without delay.
13. Further expresses appreciation to all the countries that have
pledged to help re-build Somalia's Security Institutions in particular the
governments of IGAD member states and others for availing training to the
Somalia Security Forces.
14. Calls for an urgent special appeal to the international community
for the provision of humanitarian assistance to the suffering Somali people, and
urges the countries neighboring Somalia to provide safe corridors so that
the humanitarian assistance can be delivered to those in need.
15. Notes with concern the UN Secretary General's Report on Somalia
(S/2009/210) of 16th April 2009 to the UN Security Council in particular
paragraphs 75-80 (Engagement with no International Security Presence (Option D),
and reiterates that the UN Security Council cannot abrogate its
obligation to deploy a UN Peace Keeping force in accordance with the UN Charter
and the deployment plans already drawn.
16. Stresses the need for close cooperation and effective partnership
between UNPOS, IGAD, AU and the League of Arab States (LAS) in dealing with the
Somalia issues, and reiterates its call for coordinated efforts between the four
institutions.
17. Notes further with concern the lack of payment of stipends to the
Somalia Police Force and high level of unemployment among Somalia youth, and
calls upon the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to punctually
effect payments to the Somalia Police Force without any further delay as well as
implement up job creation programmes for the Somalia youth.
18. Notes the proposed action plan for intervention in Somalia by the
IGAD Facilitator for Somalia Peace and Reconciliation titled: "Proposal on
Re-establishing Effective Government Institutions in Somalia" and directs
the Secretariat to review, prioritize and resubmit it as an agenda item of 33rd
Ordinary Council for further discussion.
19. Commends the international community and regional efforts against
piracy in and around the waters of Somalia, takes note of the report by
the IGAD Capacity building Programme against Terrorism (ICPAT) to fight piracy
along the territorial waters of Somalia and directs Ordinary Council for further
discussion. the Secretariat to submit it as an agenda item to the 33 Ordinary
Council for further discussion.
20. Reaffirms its continued support to TFG and its institutions and
further undertakes not to host armed subversive elements against member
states.
21. Welcomes the relocation of the Transitional Federal Institutions
(TFIs) to Mogadishu and their commencing of the task of providing leadership for
the country.
22. Recognizes with appreciation the efforts of those Somali elders,
business community, civil society, Somalia Diaspora and religious leaders to end
the conflicts in Somalia and urges the TFG to harness these efforts.
23. Notes with appreciation the presence of the AU through AMISOM and
LAS in Somalia, and calls upon IGAD and the UN to establish their
presence and operation in Somalia.
24. Reiterates its earlier decision to take the necessary action to
impose targeted sanctions including travel bans, freezing of assets among
others, against all those in and outside Somalia who have become obstacles to
the achievement of peace in Somali, and calls upon the AU and the UNSC to
do the same.
25. Thanks the government and people of Ethiopia for hosting the
Council meeting.
26. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Done at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 20th
May 2009
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