African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) headed by the Egyptian Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to African Union, Dr. Mohamed Omar Gad, wrapped up its three-day visit to Mogadishu today after the Somali government insisted that AMISOM must exit as planned.
The delegation arrived in Mogadishu on Tuesday and met with Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Abdirizak and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble the next. The meetings focused on the future of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) beyond December 31, 2021, “the security and peace challenges and the extent of the national army’s readiness to assume responsibility for the country’s security”.
During his first meeting, speaking about the Somali Transition Plan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said the STP “provides not only clarity in how security transition is to be conducted but also a clear break from an AMISOM mission solely focused on security and a new AU mission able to support Somalia under the new political , governance, social and security dispensation.”
In the highly regarded address to the delegation, Mr. Abdirizak added that “the Somali nation will not accept foot-dragging, misrepresentation, and delays that hinder the implementation of a successful security.”
He pursued by emphasizing that “the simple truth remains no options can be viable without the approval of the host nation and the STP remains the position of the FGS not only under this administration but future administration. The Somali nation is united in seeking to realize the responsibility for its own security and irrespective of election politics or otherwise, this will remain constant.”
The Somali government categorically rejected a few months ago an AUPSC hybrid plan where African and UN troops would be stationed in Somalia until 2026 under a different mandate.
FM Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud received on Tuesday the members of the PSC of #AU who arrived in #Mogadishu on Monday for a three-day field mission, and discussed with them the mandate of #AMISOM, which is about to expire by Dec 31.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇴 (@MOFASomalia) November 9, 2021
🔗➡https://t.co/nUOdsO9Dlh#Somalia #Somali pic.twitter.com/JYX2ONphHk
Speaking to the BBC, Minister Mohamed Abdirizak said that the meeting with Prime Minister Roble and as well as previous meetings in Mogadishu discussed plans to get AMISOM out of Somalia, something the African Union is reluctant to do.
“Today’s meeting focused specifically on what we have achieved, what we have not achieved, what we disagree on and how we can come up with a consensus decision in the short time remaining in AMISOM.” said the Somali foreign minister.
The AMISOM mission in Somalia is due to end next December, and the Somali government wants AMISOM to leave the country by the end of this year. While AMISOM troop-contributing countries are reluctant to do so, they want an extension to allow them to stay in the country.
The Minister was asked why the Somali government had not previously worked to reach an agreement with the AU on the AMISOM troops withdrawal. He said the Somali government had a year ago prepared and submitted to the United Nations a clear plan for AMISOM to leave the country on time, but the Somali government’s plan did not work with the African Union.
Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak added that “Somalia insisted that its proposal be accepted during the transition process. Even if our plan had been adopted by AMISOM, with the UN on board, we would still have continued to negotiate for some time. Unfortunately, the AU didn’t agree to our plan in the first place, and that’s where the reason for the current disagreement lies. “
In another development, the 15 AUPSC representatives met with the Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) and as the Mogadishu-based opposition group said they spoke about AMISOM hybrid plan, elections and security. The CPC spokesperson said his group stressed on Somalia’s sovereignty regarding its security and suggested talk about AU forces in Somalia reinforced by UN forces should be put on hold until a new government is elected.
After months of procrastination, the latest round of talks between Somalia and the AU was prompted after the federal government expelled the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo. The diplomat is said to have engaged in activities incompatible with AMISOM’s mandate.
The African Union Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC) has completed a 3-day field visit to #Somalia. The leader of the delegation and Chair of the AU-PSC, Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Omar Gad provides a summary and highlights of their engagements in this video. pic.twitter.com/RxeuyJQ4a6
— AMISOM (@amisomsomalia) November 11, 2021
