PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
1094TH MEETING
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
27 JULY 2022
PSC/MIN/COMM.1094 (2022)
COMMUNIQUÉ
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1094th meeting held at ministerial level on 27 July 2022, on the Situation in Somalia and the Operations of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling its previous decisions on the situation in Somalia and the operations of ATMIS, in particular Communiques [PSC/PR/COMM.1075 (2022)] adopted at its 1075th meeting held on 12 April 2022; [PSC/PR/COMM.1068 (2022)], adopted at its 1068th meeting held on 8 March 2022; and Press Statement [PSC/PR/BR.1081 (2022)], adopted at its 1081st meeting held on 4 May 2022;
also recalling UN Security Council resolution 2628(2022) which authorized the reconfiguration of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) into ATMIS; and further recalling its field mission to Somalia, conducted from 19 to 22 July 2022;
Noting the opening remarks by H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Djibouti as Chairperson of the PSC for the month of July 2022, and the statement by the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, as well as the presentation by the Interim Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission for Somalia and Interim Head of ATMIS, Ms. Fiona Lortan;
also noting the statements delivered by the H.E. Balal Mohamed Osman, Acting Minister and State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and by the representatives of the Troop and Police Contributing Countries (T/PCC), the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom;
Reaffirming the AU’s solidarity with the people and the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia in their aspirations for durable peace, security and stability, as well as prosperity in their country for the benefit of the region and the Continent as a whole; also reaffirming the unwavering commitment of the AU to respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of Somalia; Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:
- Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Situation in Somalia and the operations of the ATMIS;
- Congratulates President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on his election as the 10th President of the Federal Republic of Somalia; commends the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) for the progress registered thus far, notably, the completion of the electoral process, the swearing in of the new Parliament, the inauguration of the new President and the appointment of a new Prime Minister; the appointment of the National Security Adviser, Director of National Intelligence, and Special Envoy for the Drought Response, among other appointments; applauds the people and the FGS for these milestones and for ensuring a peaceful and smooth transfer of power, and looks forward to the early formation of a new Cabinet of the Federal Government;
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Welcomes the President’s Agenda of prioritizing national reconciliation; strengthening federalism and improving relations between the Federal Government and Federal Member States; addressing the security threat posed by Al Shabaab and other armed groups; finalization of the constitutional review process and judicial reform; and addressing the prevailing humanitarian situation;
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Commends the Federal Government of Somalia for the election of the first ever female Deputy Speaker in the history of the country; underscores the role of women and youth, civil society, as well as the media in peacebuilding, national reconciliation, as well as in the implementation of the STP, and encourages the Federal Government of Somalia to continue ensuring the participation of youth and women in the peace process in the country to reach the 30 per cent target of women representation as agreed in the 17 September 2020 and 27 May 2021 Electoral Agreements;
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Encourages the Federal Government of Somalia to deepen collaboration with Federal Member States, to scale up the state- and institution-building process, ensure State presence throughout the country and to guarantee security, and the provision of basic public services to the population, including in all areas liberated from Al-Shabaab;
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Pays tribute to ATMIS and expresses appreciation for the pivotal role it played in provision of security to the election process, including in the final stages leading up to the election and inauguration of the new Somali President;
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Pays special tribute to all men and women of ATMIS for their continued commitment to duty and personal sacrifices in the cause of peace in Somalia; expresses deep condolences for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and wishes a quick recovery to all those who have sustained injuries from Al-Shabaab attacks;
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Urges ATMIS troop and police contributing countries (T/PCCs) to adhere to the command and control structure of ATMIS;
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While noting the relative progress achieved thus far in the fight against the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, notes with deep concern that the group remains an existential threat to Somalia, the entire region and beyond and, in this context, emphasizes the need for enhanced security interventions, through the mobilization of necessary material, human and financial resources for ATMIS and for the Somali national security forces, including by availing the force enablers and force multipliers that would enable the attainment of a more mobile, agile and flexible mission more attuned to the evolving situation on the ground;
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Stresses that military means on their own are not enough to address the many challenges facing Somalia and, in this regard, requests the Commission to provide the necessary support to enable the Police and Civilian components to provide support to the FGS in its efforts to enhance governance and the provision of public goods and services to local communities, as outlined in the revised Somali Transition Plan (STP);
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Underscores, in this regard, the critical need for socio-economic activities, quick impact and peace strengthening projects and other types of peace dividends in Somalia, particularly in liberated areas, in order to ensure development and preservation of the gains made thus far and, in this regard, requests the AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Centre in Cairo to support the post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding efforts of the Federal Government of Somalia;
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Requests the Commission, in close consultation with the FGS, the UN and other international partners, to finalize the benchmarks for the transition indicating the milestones each of the institution needs to achieve within the timelines outlined in PSC Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.1068 (2022)] and UN Security Council Resolution 2628(2022), with an initial focus on benchmarks and indicators for Phase 1 of the transition, culminating in the drawdown of 2,000 troops by 31 December 2022;
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Appeals to the UN to urgently reconsider the request from the Federal Government of Somalia for the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on the country, in order to ensure that the country is sufficiently equipped to effectively address the security threat posed by the Al-Shabaab terrorist group and other armed groups active in Somalia, as it prepares to take over security responsibilities from ATMIS at the end of the transition ;
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Reiterates the need for the Federal Government of Somalia, with the support of its bilateral partners, to ensure effective force generation and integration, which is crucial for the successful transition, including preparations for the drawdown of 2000 ATMIS troops by 31 December 2022, in line with the ATMIS Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and UN Security Council Resolution 2628 (2022), taking into account the need to ensure ATMIS force protection and reconfigure Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in a manner that does not lead to a security vacuum that can be exploited by Al-Shabaab;
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Notes with concern the funding challenges facing ATMIS, including the lack of adequate, predictable and sustainable financing; and stresses the urgent need to provide the necessary financial support for ATMIS , including through the use of UN assessed contributions and the AU Peace Fund, and in this regard, calls for urgent engagement among the AU, the EU, the UN and other existing and potential new donors, on practical ways to address the financial challenges facing ATMIS, with a view to ensuring that the Mission more effectively and successfully discharges its mandate within the timelines stipulated in PSC Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.1068 (2022)] of 8 March 2022 and UN Security Council Resolution 2628 (2022), in support of the Somalia Transitional Plan (STP) and the National Security Architecture;
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Expresses appreciation to the United Nations for the commitment to maintain its logistics support to ATMIS amounting to USD521 million; and to the European Union for its continued support, including for the €120 million support to ATMIS military under the European Peace Facility (EPF) and €20 million to the civilian and police components under the Africa Peace Facility (APF); also expresses appreciation to the UK for the provision of 25 million pounds, and further commends those international partners providing critical and continued support to ATMIS and to the Federal Government of Somalia, and appeals for redoubled assistance, including enhanced contributions to the UNSOS Trust Funds for ATMIS and the FGS;
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Reiterates the call to the UN Security Council to consider holding a special session on financing for ATMIS and Somalia Security Forces, and calls on the EU and other Development partners to establish a financial support package to cover all the required costs of ATMIS, in order to enable effective implementation of the CONOPS and the STP; and in this regard, requests the A3 to champion this call;
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Underscores the critical importance of enhanced coordination and complementarity of support being provided by international and bilateral partners to the FGS, including support to force generation and integration and, in this regard, welcomes the various coordination mechanisms that have been put in place, and requests ATMIS to ensure their successful implementation;
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Notes with alarm, the prevailing humanitarian situation in Somalia, which is compounded by climate change and insecurity and, in this respect, requests the PRC, through its Sub-Committee on Refugees, Returnees and IDPs and the PRC Sub-Committee on Drought and Famine, urgently to engage the FGS through the Special Envoy on Drought Response, in order to identify the needs of the FGS, with a view to mobilizing the required support, including on the possible use of resources mobilized from the Extraordinary Humanitarian Pledging Conference held in Malabo in May 2022 ; appeals to Member States in a position to do so, as well as the rest of the international community, to continue to provide the required humanitarian assistance to support the efforts of the FGS, with a view to alleviating the suffering of the population displaced by Al-Shabaab and affected by drought, famine, and floods; and emphasizes the need to harmonize humanitarian initiatives and assistance to ensure cohesion between the actions of partners;
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Emphasizes the need for multidimensional presence of the AU in Somalia, not only on security matters and, in this regard, reaffirms the importance of retaining the multidimensional nature of the Mission comprising military, police and civilian components, all of which have a critical role to play in assisting Somalia to stabilize, and assume its full responsibility for security throughout the country;
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Requests the Chairperson of the AU Commission to resume his engagement with the FGS to identify other critical areas in which the AU can provide support based on the national priorities; and
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Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
PSC/MIN/COMM.1094 (2022) – Download here