Mogadishu – Ummadda Media Online (UM)
SOMALIA SECURITY CONFERENCE, MOGADISHU
4th December 2017
COMMUNIQUE
On 4 December 2017 the President of the Federal Government of
Somalia, H.E. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmaajo” convened the
Somalia Security Conference in Mogadishu with representatives of the
Federal Member States of Somalia and the Benadir Regional
Administration. The conference was co-convened by the United Nations
and African Union, and attended by 29 of Somalia’s friends and partners.
The Somalia Security Conference offered a pivotal opportunity to
reflect on the progress made by the Federal Government of Somalia, the
Federal Member States, and Benadir Regional Administration supported
by the international community, in reforming the security sector.
Somalia continues to face a grievous threat from Al Shabaab who
continue to perpetrate atrocities across Somalia. The Conference paid
tribute to all those who have lost their lives as a result of these acts and
expressed condolences to their families. These attacks serve as a
reminder of the grave nature of the threat and of the urgent need for a
comprehensive approach to security and to accelerate security sector
reform in a unified, determined and comprehensive manner.
Progress since the London Conference: delivering a Comprehensive
Approach to Security
Reform of the security sector has been a central priority for the
Federal Government of Somalia and its partners, as set out in the
landmark political agreement by Somali leaders on the National Security
Architecture in April 2017, and the launch of the Security Pact at the
London Somalia Conference on 11 May 2017.
The participants recognized that progress has been made possible
by the continued bravery and heavy sacrifices made by the AMISOM
Troop and Police Contributing Countries in the pursuit of peace, stability
and development in Somalia. AMISOM’s presence remains critical in
order to allow Somalia to protect the political process, build its security
institutions, embed reforms, and take the necessary steps to assume
responsibility for security across the country. Somalia remains
committed to achieving full Somali ownership of security. All Somalia’s
partners once again committed to work in a coordinated and coherent
manner through the mechanisms agreed at the London Somalia
Conference in order to support Somalia’s Security Sector.
Notable achievements include agreement of the implementation
plan for the National Security Architecture, the integration of 2,400
Puntland troops into the SNA, and the completion of the Operational
Readiness Assessments as an essential component for ‘right-sizing’ and
reforming the Somalia National Army (SNA) and the Somali Police Force.
Participants commended this first realistic assessment and looked
forward to the assessment of regional and local forces to complete the
picture and form the foundation for transition over the coming years.
Some work has been undertaken to inform planning for the
transition from AMISOM to Somali security forces and institutions. Four
National Security Council meetings have taken place and participants
welcomed the decisions made at the National Security Council on 3
December 2017 which approved the National Security Architecture
Implementation Plan, State Police Plans, and the Justice and Corrections
Model.
Whilst participants welcomed progress made in the
implementation of the National Security Architecture since 11 May 2017,
they also underlined the challenges identified in the Operational
Readiness Assessment and the need for the Government with the
support of International Partners to redouble efforts to address them.
Agreeing the next steps
The participants agreed that the three priorities for immediate action
were:
- Implementation of the National Security Architecture;
- Urgent development of a realistic conditions-based transition plan
with clear target dates to transfer security responsibility from
AMISOM to Somali security forces; the completion and
implementation of which will be essential to enable sustainable
and predictable financing for AMISOM. This plan must be guided
by the rule of law, respect for human rights and should include
countering violent extremism, stabilization and governance. - Continued international support to build the capacity of Somali
security forces and institutions targeted in line with needs
emerging from progress on the above priorities.
- Implementation of the National Security Architecture
The Federal Government of Somalia, the Federal Member States and
the Benadir Regional Administration agreed to work closely together to
accelerate agreement on the political decisions necessary to ensure full
implementation of the National Security Architecture. Participants
welcomed the agreement reached by the Federal Government of
Somalia, Federal Member States and Benadir Regional Administration on
5 November 2017 to enhance security and improve their collaborative
relations on constitutional and federal issues. Priority areas for
implementation of the National Security Architecture include political
agreement on implementation between the Federal Government and Federal Member States and the Benadir Regional Administration, integration of regional forces into Somali security forces and institutions, definition of roles and responsibilities of security forces under civilian
oversight, and operationalization of Regional Security Councils with
agreed roles and responsibilities in relation to the National Security
Council.
- Conditions based transition plan from AMISOM to Somali security
forces
Participants agreed that a transition plan should be immediately
developed by the Federal Government of Somalia, together with the
Federal Member States and with the support of the African Union,
United Nations, European Union and other international partners. They
agreed that work would begin at once on a realistic, phased, conditions-
based transition plan with clear target dates, drawing on the ORA results,
to transfer security responsibility from AMISOM to the Somali security
forces, using the existing CAS mechanism. As a first step all stakeholders
would develop a process to plan for transition by 31 December 2017,
with a view to completing a draft transition plan before the Joint Review
of AMISOM requested by the Security Council in 2018. This will need
close cooperation and partnership between the FGS and FMS, and
between the Somali government and AMISOM, in order to ensure clear
outcomes.
The transition plan will lay the foundations for activity over the
coming months and years and will set out the strategy, priorities,
milestones and conditions for transition, including on stabilization and
state-building activities as well as military, police and justice plans, in
order to ensure a lasting peace. These should be affordable, accountable,
and acceptable forces, able to provide security across Somalia. They will
require transparent and effective financial and human resources systems
in place, and frameworks to ensure human rights compliance as a matter
of urgency.
The Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States and
Benadir Regional Administration committed to continue to lead the
implementation of the National Stabilization Strategy to tackle the
underlying drivers of conflict and set the conditions for economic
growth. Civilian-led stabilization interventions will remain critical to
consolidating security gains and extending the legitimacy and credibility
of the authorities. All Somali’s leaders agreed to continue to initiate local
solutions to prevent recruitment and radicalization to violent extremism
and enable effective human rights protection, conflict resolution,
including through local governance structures and civil society. They
recognized the roles of youth, women and local reconciliation efforts to
prevent further recruitment and radicalization and will prevent and
counter violent extremism and terrorism as a durable, sustainable and
long term solution.
AMISOM will continue to support the transition through the priority
tasks set out in resolution 2372. These include among others, securing
main supply routes, securing key population centres, to mentor and
assist Somali security forces, both military and police, in close
collaboration with UNSOM and in line with the National Security
Architecture; further degrading Al Shabaab, and implementing the
transition process. They committed to continuing joint AMISOM-SNA
efforts in executing these tasks.
- Continued international support to build the capacity of Somali
security forces and institutions targeted in line with needs emerging
from progress on the above priorities.
As agreed in the Security Pact based on the principle of mutual accountability, international partners reiterated their commitment to provide sustainable, political and material support to Somalia’s security
reform. We agreed it was essential to support the capacity building of
Somali security forces, in accordance with implementation of the
National Security Architecture. We also agreed that it is crucial to put in
place a realistic, phased transition plan from AMISOM to Somali security
forces. They committed to ensure that assistance is distributed across
the Comprehensive Approach to Security in order to embed military and
police activities, tackle the underlying drivers of conflict and violent
extremism and set the conditions for economic growth. International
partners committed to support the transition plan through the
Comprehensive Approach to Security, including by exploring options for
sustainable, predictable funding for AMISOM in a spirit of burden
sharing.
Participants welcomed the concerted efforts of the Federal
Government of Somalia to take the lead role for security in Somalia, and
to assume greater financial responsibility for its security forces, and in turn to strengthen domestic revenues and public financial management.
The next Security Conference will be held alongside the next Somali
Partnership Forum in 2018 in order to assess progress and set the
priorities for the next phase.
This communique was adopted in Mogadishu on 4 December 2017 by
the Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States, Benadir
Regional Administration and international partners.