Statement by Sir John Sawers, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations

Thank you Mr President and may I start by congratulating you on taking the Presidency of this Council – my first chance to do so.

I’d like to thank Under Secretary-General Pascoe and Mr Boyd for their briefings and for the latest comprehensive Secretary-General report.  We are very grateful for the hard work of the UN Secretariat, the Special Representative and his team in very difficult circumstances.

Because Somalia has been one of the most difficult issues on the Council’s agenda during my 2 and a bit years here.  The Council has taken some significant steps in the past few months towards a more stable Somalia, and we welcome the Under Secretary-General Pascoe’s judgement that, however slowly, Somalia is moving in the right direction.  Particularly notable is the programme of support for AMISOM and the work of the Department of Field Support to deliver that package is admirable and particularly welcome.

Mr President,

I believe we have the right strategy in place now – the Djibouti Agreement, the presence of AMISOM, supported by the UN, international support for the Transitional Federal Government and its security forces, and the engagement of the United Nations on the political and humanitarian aspects.  It’s now a question of seeing that strategy through.

However, as we all know, the situation in Somalia remains extremely fragile.  And, as the Secretary-General’s report sets out, we have to intensify implementation on all strands of our strategy.

First, on the humanitarian side, the situation remains deeply disturbing.  As Under Secretary-General Pascoe reported, over 50% of the population now needs assistance.  The United Kingdom has committed a further £2m to address urgent humanitarian needs there on top of our previous commitments.  And the Council needs to continue to support the TFG and the United Nations Agencies able to operate in Somalia in delivering basic security, food and health care to the Somali people.

Secondly, we need to sustain international support for the TFG and its efforts to engage in dialogue and reconciliation.  The Transitional Federal Government needs to extend its influence through reconciliation with groups still outside the broad coalition that is now backing it.  This means inclusive politics at a national, regional and local level.  And the international community must play its part by disbursing the funds pledged at Brussels in April.

In line with Security Council Resolution 1844, it is important that all States support the Djibouti process and the TFG as the legitimate Government of Somalia.  The United Kingdom is concerned at the evidence in the latest report from the Somalia Monitoring Group that Eritrea has provided support to those opposing the TFG in Somalia, in breach of UN Resolutions and the UN arms embargo.  Leaders of the African Union have requested the Security Council to impose sanctions against Eritrea in response.  The United Kingdom stands ready to support such action.  The Council will need to give serious consideration to the African Union’s requests over the coming weeks.  The Council’s Resolutions must be upheld, including Resolution 1862 on Djibouti, and the stability of Somalia must be promoted.

Third, Mr President, we believe that the Council should maintain its support for AMISOM which is playing a critical role in supporting the TFG. The United Kingdom also urges Member States to provide further contributions to the AMISOM Trust Fund.  The United Nations Political Office for Somalia should continue to increase its presence in Somalia as the security situation allows and we welcome the further details that the Under Secretary-General has given us today on that.

May I pay tribute, Mr President, to the role that Uganda and Burundi are playing in the difficult operation and the difficult circumstances in AMISOM.  We condemn the recent attacks in Mogadishu and join others in offering our sympathy to the Governments and condolences to the families of those killed and injured.

Lastly, the Council must continue to play its part in addressing the threat from piracy, including by renewing the legal authority for operations against pirates later this year.  The long-term solution to piracy can only come through re-establishing the rule of law in Somalia, but in the short-term, active counter-piracy operations are essential to deter and contain the problem and to protect the sea lanes around the Horn of Africa.  

Mr President, the Council has taken significant steps over the past few months to improve the prospects of a more stable Somalia.  The coming months now need to be used to make sure that these actions are translated into tangible improvements in the lives of the people of the country.  The conflict in Somalia remains one of the most troubling in Africa.  Resolving it, and retaining stability, will remain among the biggest challenges for the Security Council over the coming months and years.

I thank you, Mr President.

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