On Somalia, After Al Shabaab Attack UNSC Asks Funds for Army
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 12, 2014 -- After another Al Shabaab attack in
Mogadishu, the UN Security Council got a briefing on July 11 from its envoy
Nicholas Kay, then issued the following statement:
Press Statement on Somalia
On 11 July the Security Council received a briefing from the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr Nicholas Kay, on the security
situation in Mogadishu.
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the
recent Al Shabaab attacks in Mogadishu against Villa Somalia, Parliament and
members of Parliament in the last week. The members of the Security Council
expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and wished a
speedy recovery to those injured.
The members of the Security Council paid tribute to both AMISOM and the
Somali National Security Forces for their effective response to the attack
against Villa Somalia. The members of the Security Council underlined the
urgent need to support the Somali National Security Forces, in order for it
to be able to assume full responsibility for security in Mogadishu and
beyond. In that context members of the Security Council encouraged Member
States to make uncaveated contributions to the United Nations Trust Fund to
provide support to the Somali National Army, as authorized in resolution
2124.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to
international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are
criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, wherever and
whenever and by whomsoever committed.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to combat
all forms of terrorism, in accordance with their responsibilities under the
Charter of the United Nations.
The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring
perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible
acts of terrorism to justice and urged all States, in accordance with their
obligations under international law and relevant Security Council
resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Somali authorities in this
regard.
The members of the Security Council reminded States that they must ensure
that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations
under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee
and humanitarian law.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their resolve to continue to
stand by the people and Government of Somalia, in the face of deplorable
terrorist attacks, as they seek to establish peace and prosperity across
their country.
Back on May 12 in an advance copy of the UN's report on Somalia, to be
issued as S/2014/330, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says he is "concerned
about the potential for confrontation between Puntland and 'Somaliland.' I
call on both sides to avoid escalating tensions."
Many note that Somaliland, without the quotation marks Ban puts around
it, has been more peaceful than Mogadishu for some time - and that the UN
system raised tensions by, for example, handing Somaliland's airspace to
Mogadishu.
Ban's report also says he remains "concerned about the continued export of
Somali charcoal" and encourages "the Security Council Committee on Somalia
and Eritrea to list the responsible individuals and entities."
These advance copies have been known to be changed before "final" release,
in a process for which a description
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/syria1humspin042314.html> , and then
proposals for reform
<
http://www.beaconreader.com/matthew-russell-lee/from-advance-reports-to-unt
v-bans-from-western-sahara-to-access-un-lawless-gray-lady> , were provided
here <
http://www.innercitypress.com/syria1humspin042314.html> and then here
<
http://www.beaconreader.com/matthew-russell-lee/from-advance-reports-to-unt
v-bans-from-western-sahara-to-access-un-lawless-gray-lady> .
In this advance copy, Ban "strongly recommend[s] to the Council an
extension of the mandate of UNSOM for one year to 3 June 2015."
When on April 23 UNSOM envoy Nicholas Kay along with AMISOM head Mahamat
Saleh Annadif took questions at the UN, Inner City Press asked them about
the new Ugandan guard unit, about the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group and
about Somaliland including its disputed airspace. Video here
<
http://webtv.un.org/watch/nicholas-kay-unsom-and-mahamat-saleh-annadif-amis
om-on-somalia-%E2%80%93-press-conference/3499822354001/> from Minute 14:23.
Kay said, "at the moment we're absolutely clear obviously on the
international legal position vis-a-vis Somaliland, it's not a recognized
state by anyone. But they have a very strong sense of their own statehood
and aspirations to independence."
Kay referred to the Turkey-facilitated talks between Somaliland and the
Somali government in Mogadishi, including about airspace. He said that UN
funds and programs operate in Somaliland. But UNSOM does not: Somaliland
points to the mandate it was given by the Security Council.
On the Ugandan guard unit, Kay said they will protect the UN but work with
AMISOM. But in March, AMISOM spokesperson Ali Aden Houmed was quoted by
Voice of America
<
http://www.raxanreeb.com/2014/03/somalia-uganda-says-it-will-deploy-special
-forces-to-guard-un-offices-in-mogadishu/> that "we do not have the fact of
what these forces are and they are not part of us... UN and Uganda had been
conducting 'a secret negotiation.'" Neither Kay nor Mahamat Saleh Annadif
addressed this.
On sanctions, after Kay recounted improvements in reporting and
"information" that are underway, Inner City Press asked if the Somali letter
requesting the ouster of SEMG coordinator Chopra has been withdrawn. Kay
said he has not seen the letter. Well here it is
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/som1smegicp.pdf> : Inner City Press
exclusively obtained, reported
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/sanctions3smeg120513.html> and published it
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/som1smegicp.pdf> . Has it been withdrawn?
Footnotes: Particularly in light of media freedom issues in Somalia -- and
in Somaliland
<
http://funca.info/inside-the-un/funca-in-the-field-as-somaliland-journalist
s-jailed-fight-back-by-hargeisa-funca-member-un-its-alliance-contrasted-415/
> , on which the Free UN Coalition for Access <http://funca.info/> has
worked
<
http://funca.info/inside-the-un/funca-in-the-field-as-somaliland-journalist
s-jailed-fight-back-by-hargeisa-funca-member-un-its-alliance-contrasted-415/
> -- we note that the UN on April 23 automatically gave the first question
to the UN Correspondents Association
<
http://blog.srilankacampaign.org/2012/06/long-arm-of-sri-lankan-government.
html> , a group which has tried to get the investigative Press
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/unofficials1unca061112.pdf> thrown out of
the UN. <
http://www.innercitypress.com/voavicp1un062012.pdf>
But the question by UNCA's president included how many Burundi troops are
there -- no mention of the UN's own warning about the distribution of
weapons by Burundi's government to its youth wing -- and in mistaking the US
Institute of Peace, where Kay spoke this week, with the International Peace
Institute, most recently reviewed here and here.
In April UNCA or the UN's Censorship Alliance has tried to privatize access
to the incoming South Korean presidency of the Security Council in May,
positioning itself as middle-man even after FUNCA's inquiry
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/rok1unscpriv041514.html> and RSVP find that
the statement an event is for UNCA members only
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/rok2unscpriv041614.html> , or now only
through UNCA, is false. Preaching press freedom from this UN is difficult.
Watch this site.
Received on Sat Jul 12 2014 - 19:04:13 EDT