Meeting in Council on Monday 18 November, the European foreign affairs ministers devoted part of their discussions to the Horn of Africa. Discussions focused on the European Union’s support for the future African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
“We have been supporting Somalia for many years. We have to continue supporting it in order to avoid the collapse of the country”, pleaded the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, at a press conference on Monday evening.
The “desperate” situation in Sudan was also at the centre of discussions (see EUROPE 13500/27). With almost 14 million people having been forced to flee to the borders of Egypt and Chad, the European ministers called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Mr Borrell also denounced Russia’s veto at the United Nations Security Council on Monday morning. A draft resolution demanding that the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) implement the ‘Jeddah Declaration’ for the protection of civilians was put to the vote.
The 14 other members of the Council voted in favour of the text, which called for an end to RSF attacks on civilians in Darfur, as well as in the states of Gezira and Sennar. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)