Summary: October 19, 2001: Declaration by H.E. Mr. Jean De Ruyt on behalf of the European Union. The situation in Somalia (New York)
Mr. President,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe associated with the European Union, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and Iceland, EFTA country member of the European Economic Area, endorse this statement.
The European Union (EU) welcomes today's public debate on Somalia, and the opportunity it provides for Member States to share their assessments of the situation in Somalia and their thoughts on the United Nations' role both there and in the Horn of Africa as a whole.
Mr. President,
The Transitional Government has been in place for nearly a year, that is for a third of its mandate, and has had to confront many problems. The EU renews its appeal to the Transitional Government to pursue its efforts towards national reconciliation with a genuine spirit of compromise, by peaceful means and with due respect to all entities that have achieved a certain degree of stability. The EU encourages all parties of Somalia that have not participated in the Arta-process to enter into a
dialogue with the same genuine spirit of compromise with a view to advancing and completing the reconciliation process among all Somalis.
The EU welcomes the creation of the National Commission for Reconciliation and Property Settlement. This Commission must function independently of the Government and constitute an important forum for dialogue under the ownership of all Somalis and with the support of the international community. As suggested by the IGAD partnership Forum, the functional cooperation between the different political and administrative entities represents an important confidence building measure.
Regarding human rights, the EU believes that crimes committed during the civil war at the end of the 1980's should not go unpunished. The administration of justice must be strengthened to make possible a fair trial for the perpetrators of those crimes.
The EU remains deeply concerned by the security situation in Somalia, and in Mogadishu in particular. Attacks against civilians and the staff of humanitarian organizations are unacceptable and must cease. NGO's are doing exemplary work in difficult conditions, and we pay tribute to their efforts. The EU is also concerned by the presence of many anti-personnel mines in several regions. These mines present a great danger not only to the Somali population as a whole but also to humanitarian staff
working there. The reopening of the airport and port in Mogadishu is important in order to allow humanitarian aid to be brought in, and also to avoid prolonging the political isolation of Somalia.
Allow me, Mr. Chairman, to address an issue, which is current at the moment: terrorism. The EU urges the Transitional Government to cooperate with the Counter-Terrorism Committee established by Resolution 1373 and with the United States Government on this question. The EU is itself currently studying how best to help the Transitional Government respond to the demands of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.
The situation in Somalia is closely linked to that of its neighbors. So that peace may be established in the Horn of Africa, the EU calls for the resumption of political contacts between the Transitional Government and its neighbors, particularly Ethiopia. States in the region should abstain from military involvement in Somalia or any other initiative that could jeopardize that country's sovereignty, political independence and unity. The traffic of arms should also cease. The EU repeats its
call on the countries involved to respect the Security Council's arms embargo. The EU supports all ongoing regional efforts to find a political solution to the Somali question, particularly those of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and of the OAU. The EU agrees with the Secretary-General that co-ordination of efforts among external actors is still needed and that a consultative mechanism could be useful to that effect. The Secretary-General's idea of forming a Committee of
Friends of Somalia is worth examining.
Mr. President,
The EU takes note of the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report. At the beginning of this year, the Security Council wanted a peace-building mission to be established in Somalia and asked the Secretary-General to draw up a proposal to that end. The Secretary-General currently judges that the conditions for sending such a mission at this stage have not been fulfilled. Security concerns remain. We agree with the Secretary-General that a thorough review of the security situation has to
be carried out. We are in favor of a new security assessment.
All parties to the conflict should redouble their efforts to bring about the right conditions for the deployment of international personnel. In parallel, countries and individuals who have an influence on the parties involved should also act. New means should be put into play rapidly, to bring Somalia out of its current impasse and enable a lasting peace to be established.
Both collectively and through bilateral aid from its Member States, the EU is participating in the reconstruction of the country. The Union is ready to examine possibilities for institution building and support for good governance. We have taken note of the needs expressed by the Transitional Government as regards police training and the establishment of regional administrations as envisaged in the Transitional National Charter.
Mr. President,
A lasting solution for Somalia remains to be found. The parties have to bring their efforts together for peace to be achieved. Peace must come to seem more attractive to the parties involved than the continuation of a latent conflict, which has such dire consequences for the population. We hope that the United Nations, the regional countries and other countries interested in stability in the Horn of Africa will give their full cooperation to this end.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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