Excellencies, Ministers of Defence and Honourable Ministers,

Excellencies,

Chiefs of Defense Force,

Inspector Generals of Police,

Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Let me on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) welcome you all to the African Union and to this significant Somalia Operations Coordination Committee (SOCC) meeting.

The AU recognises the importance of the journey Somalia has made towards peace and stability and commend the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) on its Security Council membership and A3+.

We highly commend His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on his stewardship of Somalia in pursuing key national priorities, particularly the fight against Al-Shabaab, in addition to Somalia’s leadership on the establishment and deployment of AUSSOM.

AUSSOM as of today, is nearly two months old. The new mission remains our collective response in support of Somalia’s security and state-building efforts. It is also our collective commitment that Somalia moves from conflict to recovery.

Honourable Ministers,

Despite the milestone AUSSOM embodies, we are still confronted with challenges that require a collective response. It is imperative that these challenges must be addressed, if AUSSOM is to build on the lessons of its two predecessors.

It is in this context, that I welcome the strong and personal commitment of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in his determination to ensure AUSSOM will be a success.

The legacy of AMISON and ATMIS must endure – the AU’s contributions to stability in Somalia are well recorded. AUSSOM is the next level in the quest for post-conflict reconciliation and development of Somalia.

At the AU, we remain optimistic.

We commend the efforts of the Federal Government of Somalia, the A3 and the ATMIS T/PCCs, particularly for maintaining the importance of the immediate implementation of the hybrid 2719 framework model outlined in the AU-UN Joint Report.

Excellencies,

Despite some encouraging developments, our collective concern is that AUSSOM’s foundation remains uncertain for the immediate future. It is a foundation that requires a more predictable operational framework. Therefore, there is the need to:

• address outstanding financing of the Mission;
• legacy issues, such as continuing our concerted fight against Al-Shabaab and other extremist groups; and,
• Nature and operations of the implementation of the CONOPS

With funding and the delay of the implementation of resolution 2719 and 2767, we must resolve the funding anomaly required for the first six months of AUSSOM - January to June. Addressing this must be done in parallel to preparing the groundwork for the readiness of resolution 2719.

The AU welcomes the conclusions of the Troop Partner Nations (TPNs) composition of AUSSOM in the spirit of respect and dignity, and most importantly, pan African solidarity.

The challenge of Al-Shabaab still remains and will demand a concerted effort, with Somalia’s leadership. A resilient Al-Shabaab must not be allowed to become resurgent, thus, necessitating the need to carefully plan the transition from ATMIS to AUSSOM and ensuring that there are no security vacuum but availability of necessary logistical support.

Let me specifically thank the CDS and IGP for their groundwork in SOCC yesterday. I am pleased to see progress on the liquidation of ATMIS following yesterday’s session. It is an indication that substantial progress has been made in Somalia towards restoring stability and self-governance.

Let me conclude by reiterating my sincere appreciation for the sustained support to the ATMIS Troop and Police Contributing Countries (T/PCCs) of the SOCC.

Your unwavering support over the years has been vital in our collective fight against Al-Shabaab and in bringing lasting peace to Somalia.

Together, we are stronger for a more stable and prosperous Somalia.

I thank you for your kind attention.

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