Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 23/09/2010
H.E. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed President of the Republic of Somalia H.E. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It gives me immense pleasure to address today this important High Level meeting on Somalia taking place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. I commend the UN Secretary General for this initiative and hope that it will produce concrete outcome. Consistent with the OIC’s Commitment to contribute to any international endeavor aimed at advancing the peace building process in the war-torn country, I personally participated in the International Conference on Somalia jointly organized by Turkey and the UN on 21-23 May 2010 in Istanbul. The Ministerial Conference, held within the framework of the Djibouti Peace Agreement, was satisfactorily well attended by all international and regional development partners of Somalia. The Conference sent out an unequivocal message of international solidarity and commitment to strengthen the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in order to unable it to conclude the prescribed tasks under the remaining transitional period ending August 2011. In this context, we in the OIC, in fulfillment of our obligations, have since mobilized our Member States to increase and extend all forms of assistance to the TFG during the remaining part of the transition and even beyond. Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Despise the Istanbul Conference and the strong show of support that emanated from it, the situation on the ground in Somalia has sadly remained a source of concern. Insurgents have continued to launch bold attacks on government targets and AMISOM as well as on innocent civilians. I have consistently condemned these acts of violence on land and piracy at sea 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 a wake up call of the spreading international effect of the crisis beyond the borders of Somalia. While I commend the TFG for its laudable efforts to achieve reconciliation, it must be made clear to the militants that there cannot be any military solution to this conflict as the Djibouti Peace Agreement remains the only internationally recognized valuable option to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation. I must hereby express my disappointment that despite various pledges in support of the TFG by the international committee, not much has actually been extended to empower the government. It must be noted that the lack of fulfillment of these pledges is weakening the loyalty of the people to the TFG and exposing its vulnerability. This unfortunate situation is also contributing to undermine the cohesion and unity within the TFG as demonstrated by the recent resignations of some ministers and high-level officials. The regrettable feud within the TFG needs to be decisively resolved in order to prosecute in time the remaining tasks under the transition, especially the drawing up of the new constitution. Accordingly, the international community must act urgently to redeem all its pledges in support of the security, development and humanitarian fields so as to guarantee the survival of the TFG because any alternative to this government cannot be contemplated. I am, however, glad to inform that the OIC on its part has just signed an agreement with the WFP to deliver food worth $36 Million Dollars through the Afgoye Corridor. While I salute the enormous sacrifices of AMISOM and the troop contributing countries, it may be necessary for the UN to consider taking over the peace keeping operation in Somalia. I also wish to commend at this juncture the AU and IGAD for their respective recent announcement to reinforce their security engagement with Somalia. As we in the OIC continue to take concrete steps in support of the peace building efforts in Somalia, I wish to appeal to all genuine partners of that country, especially the UN, to effectively implement its strategy for Somalia and by intensifying their assistance to the TFG as well as consolidating their presence on the ground by relocating their offices from Nairobi to Somalia. In this context, I wish to welcome the recent declaration by the UN Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga that in the next few months, the UN Political office for Somalia based 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 recent opening of the OIC Humanitarian 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 the daily basis the effect of this conflict to which lasting solutions must now be found. I wish the meeting a fruitful deliberations and outcome.
