Summary: EU Presidency Statement on Somalia (19 September 2005: Brussels)
Statement by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the situation in Somalia
The European Union (EU) fully supports the Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and his initiative, as stated in his letter of 13 September to the Mogadishu based Ministers, to start, after consultations, holding regular Council of Ministers meetings in Mogadishu. This is a fully Somali owned initiative and the EU urges the Ministers in Mogadishu to respond positively. The EU is pleased to note that the international donor community has agreed to provide funding
towards this initiative.
The EU believes that this is a very important step towards resolving the outstanding issues confronting the Transitional Federal Institutions and promoting a truly and fully inclusive dialogue. The EU urges all Somalis to embrace the opportunity afforded by this initiative, and stresses the need for all sides to put aside any differences (notably eschewing any threat of violent conflict) to ensure that the Council of Ministers, Parliament and other key Somali stakeholders work together in an
inclusive and transparent manner.
The European Union however remains concerned at recent reports of military activity and inflammatory statements (notably by extremist elements) and the resulting increase in tension in Somalia. In this context the EU fully supports the statement of 8 September by the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, that there can be no military solution to the problems facing the Somali Federal institutions.
The international community has invested heavily in the Somalia reconciliation process and remains ready to support the Transitional Federal Institutions in their efforts to re-establish a functioning state in Somalia. However, any return to violence will inevitably set back the reconciliation process and undo the progress that has been made.
The EU therefore calls on all parties to refrain from making military preparations, to refrain from making inflammatory statements and to commit themselves to the peaceful resolution of their differences through inclusive dialogue. In particular, the creation of any national Somali military force should take place in the framework of a National Security and Stabilisation Plan to be developed by the National Security Council, in line with the UNSC Presidential Statement of 14 July 2005.
In conclusion, the EU reiterates that the Transitional Federal Charter and the Institutions created by the Somali National Reconciliation Conference constitute the only framework within which the international community can support the emerging governance in Somalia.
The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey and Croatia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia continues to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
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