Full cooperation between the Federal Government of Somalia and the federal states as well as regional partners is needed, and durable solutions must be found to safeguard efforts to combat al-Shabaab jihadists, to establish integrated Somali security forces, and to create a secure environment conducive to state building and development, the EU stressed on 15 March in a statement by its High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
Alarmed by the latest incidents on the Kenya-Somali border, the recent reinforcement of security forces in the Gedo region, as well as the fighting in Galmudug at the end of February, the High Representative considers these situations “extremely serious” from a humanitarian perspective and that “they divert assets and attention away from military operations against al-Shabaab”.
He considers organising “a summit between the Heads of State and Government of Somalia and its neighbours [to be] urgent”.
Recalling that “the European Union has always been a strong supporter of Somali state building, notably in the economic and security areas”, he believes that “the current military situation also calls for an urgent discussion on the state of implementation of the agreed joint priorities in the political and security sphere”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)