Friday April 1, 2022
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to
endorse the African Union’s new transitional mission in Somalia and authorized
it to take action against al-Qaida and Islamic State extremist groups and
conduct a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somalia’s government.
The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia, known as
ATMIS, replaces the African Union Mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, which
has been in the Horn of Africa nation for 15 years trying to build lasting
peace and security.
While the resolution adopted by the council recognizes
significant changes in the security situation since it authorized AMISOM in
February 2007 and improvements in Somalia’s capability to respond to security
challenges, it also reaffirms “the need to combat terrorist threats by all
means.”
Only in the past few years has Somalia begun to find its
footing after three decades of chaos from warlords to the al-Qaida-linked
al-Shabab extremist group and the emergence of Islamic State-linked extremist
groups. Last year, a political crisis further postponed long-delayed elections
and lower house elections which were to be completed on March 15 are still not
complete, further delaying the vote for a new president.
The British-drafted resolution authorizes the new ATMIS
mission to support the Somali forces “in providing security for the political
process at all levels.”
The Security Council underscored that completing the
electoral process without further delay and achieving “a peaceful transition of
power” will help Somalia move ahead with its national priorities and support
its 2021 transition plan which outlines steps toward the gradual handover of
responsibilities for security from international forces to the government.
The council reiterated its objective “of enabling Somalia to
take full responsibility for its own security, including through assuming the
leading role in countering and addressing the threat posed by al-Shabab.”
The resolution authorizes ATMIS to conduct jointly planned
operations with Somali security forces “to degrade al-Shabab and affiliates
linked to ISIL,” an acronym for the Islamic State group.
The council authorized AU member nations to deploy up to
19,626 uniformed personnel, including a minimum of 1.040 police, until Dec. 31,
and endorsed the AU Peace and Security Council’s decision to reduce the
peacekeeping force by 2,000 by that date. It authorized a reduced force of
17,626 between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2023, and noted that a joint proposal
including the AU and Somalia envisions further cuts to 14,626 in September
2023, 10,626 in June 2024 and “zero personnel” by the end of December 2024.
The resolution welcomes the Somali government’s intention to
generate 3,850 new security forces by December 2022, 8,525 new forces by
September 2023 and 10,450 new forces by June 2024.
AMISOM was funded by voluntary contributions, especially
from the European Union, with logistical support from the United Nations. The
Security Council urged U.N. member nations, including new donors, “to consider
providing predictable, sustainable and multi-year support for ATMIS.”
After the vote, Britain’s deputy U.N. ambassador James
Kariuki thanked council members for their support “in the adoption of this
landmark resolution.”
U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills said the resolution
“provides a vital opportunity to build on AMISOM’s efforts and take the next
steps to roll back al-Shabaab, enabling Somalia to provide the security and
stability required for the Somali people to achieve their aspirations.”
“Al-Shabab is a formidable and adaptable threat to Somalia,
and to East Africa more broadly,” he said. “As al-Qaeda’s largest and best
financed affiliate, al-Shabab represents a threat that requires a vigorous and
broad-based response. The ATMIS mandate provides the opportunity to adapt and
reinvigorate the African-led, international effort against al-Shabab.”
Albania’s political coordinator Arian Spasse noted
al-Shabab’s increased attacks on security forces and civilians in recent months
and called on the government again to complete elections.
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“It is crucial the newly elected government turn its focus
to the deteriorating security situation, to the undertaking of reforms, and to
the humanitarian crisis caused by the unprecedented droughts, which is plunging
the population into another famine,” he said. “Further delays will give
al-Shabaab more time to overshadow the government’s effort to provide peace and
prosperity, and will fuel al-Shabab propaganda as an alternative to a
democratically elected government.”
Somalia’s U.N. Ambassador Abukar Osman expressed
disappointment that the council’s resolution didn’t provide more funding for
its security forces, address the need for a unified and centralized command for
ATMIS, and greater logistical support
Addressing these issues will ensure that the resolution is
aligned with Somalia’s strategic document on security, he said.