PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
1121ST MEETING
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
11 NOVEMBER 2022
PSC/PR/COMM.1121 (2022)
COMMUNIQUÉ
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1121st meeting, held on 11 November 2022, on the Consideration of the Request of the Federal Government of Somalia to extend Phase 1 of ATMIS operational timelines.
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1068 (2022)] adopted at its 1068th meeting held on 8 March 2022 on the Reconfiguration of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which authorized the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to replace AMISOM, and the United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2628(2022), which authorized the reconfiguration of AMISOM into ATMIS;
Noting the opening statement by H.E. Ambassador Emilia Ndinelao Mkusa, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Namibia to the Africa Union and Chairperson of the PSC for November 2022, and the briefings presented by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Ms. Fiona Lortan, Interim Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission for Somalia and Acting Head of ATMIS; as well as the statements by Mr. Hussein Sheikh-Ali, National Security Adviser of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and by H.E. Birgitte Markussen, Ambassador of the European Union to the AU;
Reaffirming AU’s solidarity with the people and the Government of Somalia in their aspirations for durable peace, security, stability, and prosperity, for the benefit of the region and the Continent as a whole;
Reiterating the unwavering commitment of AU to support the delivery of the ATMIS mandate, and
Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:
1. Takes note of the request of the FGS to revise the operational timelines of the ATMIS mandate, as reflected in the ATMIS Concept of Operations (CONOPS); PSC Communique 1068 and UNSC Resolution 2628;
2. Confirms support for the FGS request to extend the ATMIS Phase 1 Reconfiguration for the drawdown of 2,000 ATMIS troops from 31 December 2022 to 30 June 2023, as a slight revision of the operational timeline, while reconfirming the commitment to maintain the exit date of 31 December 2024 by ATMIS;
3. Strongly condemns the recent cowardly attack on the Ministry of Education in Mogadishu by the Al-Shabaab terrorist group and pays tribute to the ATMIS Troop/Police Contributing Countries (T/PCCs) and their personnel for the continued sacrifices in Somalia and assures them of the continued support of the AU;
4. Requests the AU Commission, working jointly with the UN, FGS and partners, to submit a joint report, no later than 15 February 2023, including a technical assessment of progress made and compliance with agreed benchmarks, in order to guide the PSC on the next steps in the transition plan; while highlighting that the report should cover proposals on the revision of the phases of the CONOPS and the force generation requirements;
5. Welcomes the upcoming series of joint AU/UN joint advocacy engagements with AU Member States, ATMIS T/PCCs and the international community, due to commence in Addis Ababa this November, with a view to mobilizing the required financial and other resources for supporting the ATMIS mandate through enhanced operational capabilities;
6. Calls upon the UN and the UN Security Council to consider additional and predictable funding for ATMIS, to specifically address the resource implications of the extension of phase 1, and the persistent funding challenges that affect the implementation of the ATMIS mandate generally;
7. In this regard, reiterates the urgent need for the UN Security Council to positively consider authorizing access to UN assessed contributions for AU Peace Support Operations including ATMIS, in order to guarantee predictable, flexible, adequate and sustainable funding for AU Peace Support Operations;
8. Commends the intensified efforts being deployed by the FGS in the fight against Al-Shabaab and encourages the Government to equally redouble its efforts in force generation and integration in order to effectively assume full security responsibilities in Somalia after the phases drawdown of troops, while noting that due priority be given to force protection for ATMIS personnel;
9. Renew the expression of sincere appreciation to the European Union, UN and other development partners for the continued support to ATMIS;
10. Requests the AU Commission and the United Nations to consider jointly organizing an international pledging conference, by March 2023, in conjunction with IGAD and development partners, with a view to mobilizing the additional resources for ATMIS operations and support to Somalia;
11. Directs the Chairperson of the Commission to transmit this communique to the UNSC for endorsement of the revised timelines relating to the extension in the drawdown of 2,000 ATMIS troops beyond December 2022, pending the submission of a detailed report of the Chairperson of the Commission to be submitted by 15 February 2023, as requested in paragraph 51 of UNSC resolution 2628 (2022);
12. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.