Somalia has made a significant step in recently completing its electoral process, but it is the enormity of the challenges to be addressed – on the security, humanitarian and human rights level – that the new federal government must now focus on, the European Union stated on Monday 3 April.
The conclusions adopted without debate by the Council of the EU, on the sidelines of the meeting of European foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg, hail the election of Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mahamed Farmaajo, the adoption of the new government, the arrival of many new members of parliament, and the increased number of women in parliament and new cabinet of ministers (see EUROPE 11722).
The EU says it is extremely concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the country (6.2 million people need food aid and 2.9 million will be in a food emergency by June), as in the whole of the Horn of Africa, and it underlines that the new federal power must urgently remedy the serious humanitarian consequences of the drought.
Having mobilised €140 million in humanitarian aid for the region, including €80 million for Somalia, the EU calls on the international community to step up its efforts to respond to the needs of the people in distress.
Equally concerned about the security situation, and about the persistence and seriousness of the violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, the EU says that a new partnership agreement between Somalia and the international community, like the New Deal of September 2013, is essential in order to make tangible progress on political, security and development priorities over the next four years (see EUROPE 10923).
The Council conclusions will serve as strategic guidelines for the EU at the international conference in London, where this new partnership agreement between Somalia and the international community is expected to be adopted on 11 May. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)