The European Union is ready to invest a further €200 million to increase stability and security in Somalia. This is what was announced in London on Thursday 11 May, where the international community concluded a pact for stability and security with Somalia – a Horn of Africa country that is extremely fragile (see EUROPE 11784, 11760).
The €200 million will be financed by the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa that was set up by the EU in 2015 to tackle the deep-rooted causes of instability, forced displacements and irregular migration from several regions in Africa, including the Horn of Africa.
When announcing this new financial contribution, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said that the EU "already plays a major role for peace in the country through the three active missions in the country as well as EU support to the African Union peacekeeping mission AMISOM". In addition to the EU military training mission (EUTM), the naval force (EU Navfor) that fights piracy, and EUCAP (which is aimed at improving regional maritime security), the EU has provided over €1.3 billion to AMISOM in 10 years (March 2007 to March 2017).
"The aid will focus on building effective and sustainable responses to security challenges, on creating economic opportunities and on building state legitimacy and democratic governance", European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica stated.
This aid is added to the €286 million envelope for development aid for Somalia under the 11th European Development Fund (2014-2020), which focuses on consolidating the state, improving food security, and educating young people.
The humanitarian aid in response to the drought and famine that rages in the country come on top of this (€46.5 million in 2016 and €78.5 million this year). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)