Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 22/09/2010
On 22nd September 2010, In New York Mr Chairman, Excellencies, It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all to this meeting of the Contact Group on Somalia taking place on the sidelines of the Annual Coordination Meeting of Foreign Ministers. Since the 37th CFM in May 2010, in Dushanbe where Resolution 4/37 – POL on the Situation in Somalia was adopted, the conflict in Somalia has unfortunately continued to be a matter of grave concern and therefore remained one of my major pre-occupations. In the implementation of this Resolution, I immediately wrote to the Member States urging them to extend concrete support to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to enable it deliver services to its people. Furthermore, consistent with my commitment to contribute in any international endeavor that will consolidate peace building in the war-torn country, I participated in an international Conference on Somalia jointly organized by Turkey and the UN and hosted by Turkey in Istanbul on 21-23 May 2010. I am happy to inform that the idea of the Conference was the brainchild of the OIC. The Conference came almost half way in the transition period scheduled to end in August 2011. The Ministerial meeting was attended by 55 countries and 12 international organizations as well as development partners of Somalia. It was held within the framework of the Djibouti Peace Agreement which is recognized internationally as the only viable basis for the comprehensive settlement of the decades-old conflict in Somalia. The successful Conference sent an unequivocal message of commitment to strengthen the TFG in order to enable it conclude the tasks under the remaining transitional period. President Sheikh Sharif personally led his country’s delegation to the conference which was also attended by the UN Secretary General, Mr BAN Ki-moon. Mr Chairman, Excellencies, Despite the Istanbul Conference and the strong show of support that emanated from it, the situation on the ground in Somalia has deteriorated. Insurgents have continued to launch bold attacks on government targets and institutions as well as on innocent civilians thereby compounding the already dire prevailing humanitarian condition. President Sharif himself narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. I have consistently condemned these acts of violence and piracy which run counter to our noble Islamic values. The devastating terrorist attack in Kampala on 11 July 2010 linked to Somali militants, was a clear warning as well as wake up call of the spreading international effect of the crisis beyond the borders of Somalia. I again reiterate my call to the militants to drop their weapons and join the peace process as there can not be any military solution to this conflict. I must also hereby express my disappointment that despite several announced pledges in support of the TFG by the international community, not much has been actually extended to it to consolidate its power and deliver services to the needy population. It must be noted that this is eroding loyalty to the TFG and exposing its vulnerability as well as affecting its cohesion and unity as demonstrated by the recent resignation of some Ministers and other officials. I wish to therefore strongly appeal to the international community to act urgently by redeeming all its pledges in support of the security, economic, financial and humanitarian fields to the TFG so as to guarantee its survival as any alternative to this government cannot be contemplated. In this regard, I salute the resolutions adopted by IGAD at its latest respective summits held on 5th July 2010 in Addis Ababa and the AU on 25-27 July 2010 in Kampala in which it resolved to engage in a more forceful manner in the search for durable peace in Somalia. I also welcome the efforts of the TFG towards executing other key tasks under the transition including the drawing up of the new constitution and commend the recent convening of the Joint Security Committee in Nairobi under the chairmanship of the Somali Prime Minister. As we in the OIC continue to take concrete steps in support of the peace building efforts in Somalia, I further wish to appeal to all genuine partners of Somalia especially the UN to intensify their assistance to the TFG and enhance their presence in country by relocating their offices from Nairobi to Somalia. In this context, I wish to welcome the recent announcement by the new UN Special Representative, for Somalia, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga that in the next few months, the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) which he heads in Nairobi will increase its international and national staff strength inside Somalia. Such positive moves by the UN and other partners which come after the opening of the OIC Coordination Office in Mogadishu , will not only help to advance the peace process but will also bring them closer to the victims who suffer on a daily basis, the effects of the conflict. I wish the meeting fruitful deliberations.
