Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion C 221/43
RESOLUTION
(1) Adopted b y the ACP-E U Joint Parliamen tary Assembly on 9  April 2009 in  Prague (Czech Repub lic) (1)
on Establishing and promoting peace, secu rity, 
stability and governance in Somalia
The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,
—meeting 
in 
Prague 
(Czech Repub lic) 
from 6 to 9 April 2009, 
—having 
regard 
to Article 17(2) of its Rules of Procedure, 
—having 
regard 
to the UN Con vention 
for the suppression  
of unlawful 
acts again st 
the safety of maritime 
navigation, 
of 10 March 1988, 
—having
 regard
 to the Declaration on Somalia by the E U
 Council
 Presidency
 on behalf
 of the European
 
Union, 
of 3 February 
2009, 
—having
 regard
 to UN Security Coun cil
 Resolution s
 1814 (2008), 1816 (2008) an d
 1844 (2008) on 
Somalia, 
—having 
regard 
to the statemen ts 
made by 
the High 
Representative 
for the Common  
Foreign 
and 
Security 
Policy and 
Secretary-Gen eral 
of the Coun cil 
of the European 
Union, 
Javier Solan a, 
on 23 
February
 
and 4 
April 2009, an d 
by 
Louis Michel, Memb er 
of the European 
Commission , 
on 26 
February 
2008, 
—having 
regard 
to the Decision s 
and 
Declaration  
adopted b y 
the Executive 
Council 
of the African  
Union 
on
30 January 
2009 in 
Addis Ababa 
(Ethiopia),
 
—having 
regard 
to the Commun iqué 
issued by 
the African  
Union 
Summit of Heads of State an d 
Govern­
ment 
on 4 
February 
2009 in 
Addis Ababa 
(Ethiopia),
 
—having
 regard
 to the Declaration adopted at the 13th E xtraordinary
 Session of the I ntergovernmental
 
Authority on Developmen t
 (IGAD)
 Assembly
 of Heads of State an d
 Government
, held on 29 Octob er
 
2008 in 
Nairobi 
(Kenya),
 
—having 
regard 
to the Commun iqué 
of the 32nd Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers of
27 January 
2009 in 
Addis Ababa 
(Ethiopia),
 
—having 
regard 
to the report b y 
the ACP Committee of Amb assadors 
on 
the future of the ACP Group, 
adopted b y 
the ACP Coun cil 
of Ministers 
at its 86th session , 
held from 10 to 14 Decemb er 
2007 in 
Brus­
sels (Belgium),
 
—having 
regard 
to the ACP Secretariat’s project to develop in dicators 
to measure an d 
monitor 
regional 
inte­
gration 
processes in  
the six ACP reg ions,
 
—having 
regard 
to the European 
Parliamen t 
resolution s 
of 19 June 
2008 and 2
0 Novemb er 
2008 on 
the 
situation 
in 
Somalia
(2) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2008)0313 an d  P6_TA(2008)0569. (2) and to its previous resolution s on Somalia, 
—having 
regard 
to Resolution  
of the African  
Parliamen tary 
Union 
on 
the situation  
in 
Somalia, adopted on
30 Novemb er 
2008, 
—having 
regard 
to the African  
Union’s 
Declaration  
of 10 Decemb er 
2008 and 
its commun iqué 
of 22 Decem­
ber 
2008, 
—having 
regard 
to the signing 
of the documen ts 
on 
Modalities for the I mplem
entation 
of the Cessation  
of 
Armed Con frontation 
and 
a Joint 
Declaration  
on 
Common 
Political Aims b y 
the Transitional 
Federal Gov­
ernment 
(TFG) and 
the Allian ce 
for the Relib eration 
of Somalia (ARS) on  26 
October 
2008,N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 4 1
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 14.9.2009
—having reg ard to the Con clusions of the 14th meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Soma­
lia, held un der 
the chairman ship 
of the UN Special Represen tative 
for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Ab dallah, 
on 26
–27 February 
2009,
A. affirming 
the importan ce 
of respectin g 
Somalia’s territorial in tegri
ty, sovereig nty, 
political in dependence 
and 
unity,
B. whereas 
Somalia has b een 
a failing 
state for the last 17 years an d 
the situation  
has deteriorated in to 
one 
of 
the world’s worst human itarian 
and 
security crises,
C. whereas the TFG an d 
the ARS sig ned 
a power-sharin g 
deal in 
Djibouti 
on 9 
June 
2008; whereas the in itial 
aim 
of the Djib outi 
peace process was to in itiate 
a broad-based 
national 
reconciliation 
and 
create a stron g 
and 
inclusive 
political allian ce 
capable 
of securin g 
the peace, recon cil
ing 
the country 
and 
re-establishing 
central 
state authority,
D. whereas the peace process has b een 
further complicated b y 
splits within  
the ARS an d 
TFG as well as b y 
the 
advance 
of radical militias such as Al-Shab ab, 
which are n ot 
yet party to the peace process an d 
now 
control 
parts of Somalia, in cluding 
Baidoa, the former seat of the parliamen t,
E. whereas 
widespread human  
rights 
abuses 
and 
violations 
of internationa
l humanitarian 
law by 
all parties 
in 
the conflict 
in 
Somalia, specifically torture an d 
other ill-treatmen t
, rape, extrajudicial execution s, 
arbi­
trary 
detention 
and 
attacks 
on 
civilians, 
journalists 
and 
human 
rights 
defenders 
and 
civilian 
infrastructure 
continue 
to occur in  
Somalia,
F. whereas the n umber 
of grave 
human 
rights 
violations 
against 
children 
in 
Somalia, from acts of murder 
and 
rape to the recruitmen t 
of child soldiers an d 
the denial 
of human itaria
n 
access to those in  
need, 
have 
all increased 
in 
the past year,
G. whereas, sin ce 
February 
2007, some 340 000 Somalis have fled fig hting 
in 
Mogadishu, 
while 2,6 million  
Somalis 
– about 
35 per cen t 
of the population  
– are in 
need 
of human itarian 
assistance, 
and 
while there 
are 1,3 million  
displaced people; whereas man y 
refugees 
were robbed, 
raped or b eaten 
by 
freelance 
mili­
tias as they fled Somalia,
H. expressing 
its appreciation  
that Kenya 
is hosting 250 
000 refug ees 
at the Daadab  
refugee 
camps; whereas 
hundreds 
of Somalis have drown ed 
trying 
to cross the Gulf of Aden  
to Yemen, 
and 
many 
have been 
aban­
doned 
at sea by 
traffickers,
I. whereas 
Ethiopia 
withdrew its troops from Somalia as part of a UN-b acked 
peace deal b etween 
the fragile 
transitional 
government 
and 
the moderate win g 
of the main  
opposition ; 
whereas the withdrawal of E thio­
pian 
troops – thoug h 
stoking 
fears of a volatile power vacuum – an d 
the election  
of a new 
president 
open 
a 
window 
of opportun ity 
for intra-Somali 
reconciliation; 
whereas the African  
Union 
Mission 
to Somalia 
(AMISOM), 
which has sin ce 
March 2007 b een 
essentially 
confined 
to Mogadis
hu, will now 
find 
itself alone
 
on 
the ground,
J. whereas 
acts of violen ce 
against 
civilians 
and 
humanitarian 
workers, 
in 
violation 
of international 
humani­
tarian 
law, as well as attack s 
on 
AMISOM 
personnel 
and 
positions 
and 
all acts an d 
threats of violen ce 
per­
petrated b y 
those elemen ts 
seeking 
to undermine 
the political process, hin der 
the operation s 
of AMISOM 
and 
undermine 
regional 
peace and 
stability,
K. whereas 
an 
estimated 10 000 refug ees 
– with that n umber 
expected to reach 25 000 over the n ext 
few 
weeks 
– have arrived at the b order 
town 
of Dolo Ado, in  
the Somali Reg ion 
of Ethiopia 
since 
the begin­
ning 
of the year; whereas they are mostly women  
and 
children 
fleeing 
following 
the withdrawal of E thio­
pian 
troops,
L. whereas there has b een 
a significant 
increase 
in 
the number 
of successful pirate attack s 
in 
the last three 
years (10 in  
2006, 35 in  
2007, 43 in  
2008 and 
9 so far in  
2009), an d 
in 
the subseq
uent 
hostage-taking 
and 
seizure of vessels,N E 4 4 / 1 2 2 C
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion C 221/45
M. whereas piracy on  the high seas represen ts a growing threat to human  life and safety and to the supply of 
humanitarian 
aid, particularly in  
the seas off Somalia an d 
the other coun t
ries of the Horn  
of Africa; 
whereas these acts of piracy an d 
armed rob bery 
are due to the con tinuing 
conflict an d 
political in stability 
in 
Somalia,
N. whereas the scale of illeg al 
fishery in 
Somali waters also con tributes 
to acts of piracy, an d 
is destroyin g 
a 
food resource essen tial 
to Somalis an d 
to the income 
of local fishermen ,
O. whereas, 
according 
to a report b y 
the United 
Nations 
Environment 
Progra
mme (UNE P), 
a vast number 
of 
illegal 
shipments 
of toxic waste, the con tents 
of which are leak ing, 
have been  
deposited alon g 
the coast of 
Somalia, in  
total disreg ard 
for the health of the local populace an d 
conser
vation 
of the environment,
P. whereas, 
according 
to the same report, the waste dumped at sea partly orig inated 
from the E uropean 
Union, 
and 
that waste is irreversib ly 
damaging 
human 
health and 
the enviro
nment 
in 
the region, 
in 
fla­
grant 
violation 
of human  
rights,
Q. whereas, 
as a result of piracy, the World Food Prog ramme 
(WFP) had to suspen d 
delivery of food aid to 
Somalia, worsen ing 
an 
already precarious human itarian 
situation,
R. whereas 
on 8 
December 
2008, the E U 
launched 
its maritime operation  
EU 
NAVFOR Somalia (or Opera­
tion 
Atalanta), 
aimed at protectin g 
maritime con voys 
of the WFP an d 
other merchan t 
ships sailin g 
through 
the 
waters off Somalia,
S. whereas the fig ht 
against 
piracy can not 
be 
won 
by 
military mean s 
alone, 
but depen ds 
mainly 
on 
success 
in 
promoting 
peace, developmen t 
and 
state-building 
in 
Somalia;
Recent political developments
1. Strongly 
supports the prog ress 
made since 
December 
2008, specifically the creation  
of an 
enlarged 
and 
more 
inclusive 
Parliamen t, 
the extension 
of the tran sitional 
period, the election  
of Sheikh 
Sharif Sheik h 
Ahmed 
as Presiden t 
and 
the appoin tment 
of a prime min ister 
and 
cabinet; 
acknowledges 
and 
supports 
this new 
process as a Somali-own ed 
and 
-led peace an d 
reconciliation 
process;
2. Particularly welcomes the relocation of the Govern me
nt
 and
 Parliamen t
arians
 to Mogadishu
 and
 their 
commitmen t 
to continuing 
the Djibouti 
peace process; un derlines 
the urge
nt 
need 
to provide tan gible 
and 
coordinated 
support to address the ag reed 
linked 
priorities of political, security, recovery, human  
rights 
and 
institution-building 
issues; sees this as an  
important 
step towards a fun ctioning 
administration 
within 
Somalia;
3. Welcomes 
the truce reached in  
February 
2009; calls upon  
all political actors an d 
relevant 
stakeholders 
in 
Somalia 
to join 
the peace process an d 
to refrain 
from new 
acts of violen ce;
4. Calls 
for the participation  
of civil society org anisations, 
and 
in 
particular women ’s 
organisations, 
in 
the 
national 
dialogue 
and 
in 
the process of n ational 
reconciliation;
5.
 Underlines
 the urgent
 need
 to restore law an d
 order, in cluding
 respect for in ternationally-recognised
 
human 
rights 
and 
international 
humanitarian 
law, throug hout 
the country
; notes 
that Presiden t 
Ahmed 
has agreed 
to the introduction 
of sharia law, stresses that sharia should be codified in  
order to preven t 
its 
misinterpretation 
in 
violation 
of human  
rights 
and
 stresses also that an y 
legislative 
changes 
should respect 
human 
rights 
and, 
in 
particular, women ’s 
rights;
6. Calls 
for the new 
leadership to create an d 
implemen t 
a plan 
that aims at estab lishing 
viable 
institutions 
without 
delay and 
within 
the timeframe provided for b y 
the extension 
of the Tran sitional 
Federal Charter 
to August 
2011;N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 4 1
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 14.9.2009
Djibouti Agreement and the responsibility of the international commu nity
7. Expresses 
its gratitude 
to the Repub lic 
of Djibouti 
for acting 
as an 
inte
rmediary an d 
mediator throug hout 
the 
peace process in  
Somalia, an d 
for workin g 
for stability 
and 
peace in 
order to restore calm in  
the regi
on;
8. Pays 
tribute 
to the role played b y 
Kenya 
in 
hosting 
and 
mediating 
the Somalia Recon ciliation 
Conference 
under 
the auspices of I GAD, 
that led to the formation  
of the TFG; shares the AU’s appreciation  
of the sac­
rifice made b y 
Ethiopia 
and 
its commitmen t 
to the search for a lastin g 
solution 
for the con flict 
in 
Somalia;
9. Calls on 
the international 
community 
to strengthen 
the UN arms emb argo 
and 
to monitor 
airports an d 
sea 
ports to en sure 
that illegal 
arms imports are n ot 
entering 
the country, 
in 
order to improve the overall 
security situation ;
10. Calls 
on 
all sides in  
the conflict 
to stop attack s 
targeting 
civilians, 
cease all use of death threats, rape, un law­
ful 
arrest, kidnapping, 
intimidation 
and 
robbing 
of civilian s, 
and 
to abi
de fully by 
the provision s 
of Com­
mon 
Article 3 of the Gen eva 
Conventions; 
calls on 
the European 
Commission  
and 
Council 
to support the 
efforts to g uarantee 
appropriate pen alties 
for person s 
guilty 
of such offen ces;
11.
 Calls on the UN Security Coun cil
 to strengthen the mon itoring
 and
 reporting
 on human rig hts
 condi
­
tions,
 provide assistan ce
 and
 advice to the tran sitional
 federal in stitu
tions
 and
 support human rig hts
 
defenders 
throughout 
Somalia;
12. Calls on 
the International 
Contact 
Group (ICG) 
on 
Somalia, the AU an d 
donor 
states con tributing 
to the 
TFG, including 
the EU, 
Norway an d 
the United 
States, to support mechan isms 
to investigate 
violations 
of 
international 
human 
rights 
and 
humanitarian 
law committed in  
Somalia since 1991;
13. Welcomes the commitmen t 
made by 
the TFG to in troduce 
effective an d 
accountable 
governance 
based 
on 
the outlin e 
proposals presen ted 
at the ICG 
meeting 
in 
New York  
in 
Decembe
r 2008; also welcomes 
the fact that the Somali tran sitional 
institutions 
have invited 
all Somali stak eholders 
from inside 
and 
out­
side Somalia to join  
the reconciliation 
process;
14. Welcomes the I CG’s 
decision 
to provide reg ular 
updates relatin g 
to six-mon th 
action 
plans 
developed in  
partnership 
with the TFG; stron gly 
supports the I CG’s 
call to promote quick  
recovery in itiatives, 
such as 
job 
creation, 
delivery of social services an d 
livelihood activities, which would have an  
immediate impact 
on 
the well-b eing 
of Somalis, the security en vironment 
and 
future stab ili
ty of Somalia, throug h 
additional 
resources, 
and 
to protect the political an d 
financial 
investment 
already made b y 
the international 
community;
15. Calls 
on 
the Council 
and 
the Commission  
to continue 
their support for institution -building 
in 
Somalia; 
urges 
the reinforcement 
of the African  
Union 
Mission 
in 
Somalia (AMI SOM) 
and 
the deploymen t 
of the 
UN stabilisation 
force in 
a timely man ner 
as soon 
as political an d 
security con ditions 
allow;
Role of AMISOM
16. Requests the UN Secretary-Gen eral 
to create without an y 
further delay a special fun d 
to support AMI SOM 
until 
such time as the UN deploys a peacek eeping 
mission;
17. Urges 
that, especially after the withdrawal of E thiopian 
troops, AMI S
OM and 
any 
succeedin g 
UN peace­
keeping 
mission 
be 
given 
a mandate 
to protect civilian s 
– including 
women, 
children 
and 
internally 
dis­
placed person s 
– with a stron g 
human 
rights 
component, 
with the capacity to mon itor, 
investigate 
and 
report 
human 
rights 
violations;N E 6 4 / 1 2 2 C
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion C 221/47
18. Pays tribute to the African  States, and particularly Ug anda and Burund i, for the action  they have tak en, 
and 
condemns 
the recent 
attacks 
in 
which several Ug andan 
and 
Burundian 
soldiers from AMI SOM, 
as well 
as many 
civilians, 
have been 
killed 
and 
injured; 
encourages 
the continued 
commitmen t 
of AMISOM 
and 
its 
troops, performin g 
under 
extremely difficult con ditions, 
and 
calls on 
all Somali parties to support those 
working 
to bring 
peace and 
stability 
to their coun try;
Humanitarian 
aspects and Hu man 
Rights
19. Urges 
the new 
government 
swiftly to tak e 
all requisite an d 
appropriate measures to preven t 
a worsening 
of 
the curren t 
humanitarian 
crisis, and 
to bring 
security an d 
peace by 
endi
ng 
the fighting 
that has led to 
population  
displacemen t, 
civilian 
and 
material losses, maln utrition 
and disease;
20. Condemns 
the ever more frequen t 
attacks 
on 
humanitarian 
workers 
over the last few mon ths, 
which have 
gravely 
constrained 
aid operation s 
and 
have worsen ed 
the human itarian 
situation 
in 
Somalia; urg es 
the 
new 
leadership to tak e 
all necessary 
steps to en sure 
humanitarian 
access and 
assistance 
to affected popu­
lations
 in that coun try,
 and
 to take
 effective measures to en sure
 the safety of local an d
 internat
ional 
humanitarian 
workers;
21. Calls 
on 
the UN Human itarian 
Coordinator 
for Somalia to n egotiate 
humanitarian 
access separately from 
the Djibouti 
peace process, g eographic 
area by 
geographic 
area, speed up food supplies an d 
alleviate the 
dire human itarian 
situation; 
calls on 
all governments 
concerned 
to grant 
full access for human itarian 
aid 
to Somali refug ees 
in 
the region, 
and 
calls on 
the international 
community 
to strengthen 
its support;
22. Calls on 
the new 
government 
to address the issue of justice as a matter of priority, in  
order to put an  
end 
to 
the culture of impun ity, 
as the Somali people in  
general, 
and 
women 
in 
particular, are victims of human 
rights 
violations, 
including 
killings, 
rape and 
torture;
23. Calls on 
the EU 
to provide all n ecessary 
support in  
order to create a lastin g 
democratic g overnment 
in 
Somalia
 and
 to further aid the curren t
 leadership of Somalia to assert its con trol
 over the coun try
 and
 
establish 
the rule of law in  
a manner 
compatible 
with its in ternational 
human 
rights 
obligations;
Piracy
24. Strongly 
condemns 
any 
act of piracy or armed rob bery, 
especially off the coast of Somalia;
25. Welcomes the deploymen t
 of EU
 ships under operation Atalan ta
 to combat
 piracy, which has sharply 
reduced the n umber 
of attacks 
this year; calls for effective coordin ation 
with other n aval 
formation s 
in 
the 
region, 
and 
especially those of the USA, Russia an d 
China; 
and 
requests that the Atalan ta 
operation s 
be 
extended 
to the western  
Indian 
Ocean, 
where the pirates are re-estab lis
hing 
themselves;
26. Calls on 
the Transitional 
Federal Parliamen t 
and 
the new 
TFG, in 
collaboration  
with the UN an d 
the Afri­
can 
Union, 
to treat piracy an d 
armed rob bery 
committed from the Somali coast ag ainst 
vessels carryin g 
humanitarian
 aid as crimin al
 acts, the perpetrators of which must b e
 brought
 to justice un der
 existing
 
international 
law;
27. Welcomes the estab lishment 
of the UN Con tact 
Group on  
Piracy off the Coast of Somalia on  14 
January 
2009
;
28. Strongly 
recommen ds 
the EU 
to support the n ew 
Government 
of Somalia an d 
all other parties con cerned 
so 
as to improve b asic 
infrastructures 
for fisheries activities, marin e 
resource con servation 
and 
waste man ­
agement, 
in 
order to en courage 
employmen t 
that will reduce the recruitment of youth in  
piracy and 
mili­
tia activities;N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 4 1
C 221/48 EN Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 14.9.2009
Illegal fishery, toxic waste and trafficking
29. Strongly 
condemns 
illegal 
fishery in 
Somali waters, an d 
calls on 
the EU 
to address that illeg al 
fishery by 
implemen ting 
rapidly the n ew 
rules adopted in  
2009 con cerning 
traceabili
ty, controls 
and 
penalties;
30. Calls 
on 
the United 
Nations 
and 
the European 
Commission  
to fully in vest
igate 
toxic waste dumpin g 
along 
the 
Somali coast, to estab lish 
responsibilities 
at all levels, to support the efforts to b ring 
to justice those 
responsible 
for this en vironmental 
crime and 
to ensure 
that environmenta
l contamination 
is comprehen ­
sively 
dealt with;
31. Calls on 
UNEP 
to continue 
its investigation 
and 
provide an  
in-depth 
accurate assessmen t 
of the exten t 
of 
the problem, 
as this is vital to Somalia’s future;
32. Condemns 
all acts of human  
trafficking 
taking 
place off the coast of Somalia;
33. Instructs 
its Co-Presiden ts 
to forward this resolution  
to the ACP-E U 
Council 
and 
the European 
Commis­
sion, 
the parliamen ts 
of the EU 
and 
ACP States, the Presiden t 
and 
the Parliamen t 
of Somalia, the Presi­
dency 
and 
Commission  
of the African  
Union, 
the Pan-African 
Parliamen t 
and 
the UN Secretary-Gen eral.