Brussels, 22/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - In the home straight ahead of the international conference for a “New Deal” with Somalia, the foreign affairs ministers of the EU on Monday 22 July welcomed progress made by the country to establish the foundations of a state and called upon the federal government to extend these foundations to all regions of the country.
The establishment of regional and local institutions is crucial for governance and the provision of social services to the entire population in newly accessible parts of the country, the Council stresses in unanimous conclusions. It points out that political progress will be decisive in guaranteeing the long-term political stability of the country and welcomes the roadmap laying down, in stages, the path towards the general elections scheduled for 2016.
The international conference, which will be held in Brussels on 16 September (see EUROPE 10876), will provide a “platform for the reconciliation of Somalia and the rebuilding of trust” and will serve as a catalyst for the political process to lead to national reconciliation, reconstruction and stability, says the Council. The EU anticipates that in September, the federal government will present its political vision born of a dialogue with all players and regions of Somalia taking part in the conference - a vision to be underpinned by the New Deal for the coordinated and effective implementation of the most urgent priorities of the country, at political, security and socio-economic levels. The EU, which is concerned by reports of corruption and poor financial management, calls on the government to fight corruption, impunity and organised crime - such as the trafficking in human beings.
The EU stresses the importance of stepping up the shared responsibility between the international community in Somalia, as well as between the federal government and the people of Somalia. It calls on the donors to do more to coordinate their support for Somalia in order to guarantee the complementarity of efforts and avoid duplications. The EU strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism - particularly actions carried out by Al-Shabaab Islamists - and remains concerned by the persistent violence hitting civilian populations and hindering the reconciliation process. It welcomes the intentions of the UN and the African Union to deploy civilian personnel to monitor the situation in the newly accessible parts of the country. It also welcomes the role of AMISOM, which will remain vital for as long as Somalia is incapable of guaranteeing its own security. The EU reiterates its urgent appeal for the adequate and predictable funding of this mission. It also welcomes the decision may by the joint EU-ACP Council to approve Somalia's accession to the Cotonou Agreement, which has not yet taken effect. (AN/transl.fl)