WRITTEN QUESTION E-4082/00

by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Council

(10 January 2001)

Subject: Return of stability to Somalia

As a result of recent developments, Somalia is emerging from the state of anarchy which has prevailed there for the last decade. The installation of Abdiqassim Salad Hassan as President is the first step in a long and delicate transitional period which Somalia is now embarking on in order to return to the rule of law and peace. So far these first attempts by Somalia to return to the rule of law have been supported by the Arab countries. Following the tragic incidents in 1993 in which American soldiers lost their lives, European countries have stood aloof from the region.

Does the Council intend to take some initiative to help Somalia's efforts to leave anarchy behind it?

Reply

(7 May 2001)

In its declaration of 8 September 2000, the European Union expressed its willingness to enter into a dialogue with the new Somali authorities. The EU is willing to give its support to the efforts of rehabilitation, reconstruction and the re-establishment of the state, carried out by the Transitional National Government. In order to allow the European Union to fully support these efforts, the Transitional National Government should, through political means, pursue the objective of lasting stability and security throughout the country and the emergence of efficient and representative institutions.

The EU will continue to give its backing to recovery measures in all areas of Somalia where stable conditions exist.

The European Union calls on the authorities of Somaliland and Puntland to establish constructive relations with the institutions, which have emerged from the Arta process. It also urges the Transitional National Government to establish a regular and constructive dialogue with the aforementioned authorities for the purpose of re-establishing national unity in peace and with respect for the elements of stability achieved. The European Union expects that the Transitional National Government will pay full attention to the preparation of a new constitution respecting federalism as the guiding principle.

Furthermore, it strongly urges all political groups and armed movements, which remained outside the Arta peace process to associate themselves with that process and to participate in the demobilisation efforts undertaken by the Transitional National Government.

The European Union welcomes the contacts between the Transitional National Government of Somalia and the countries of the region. The Transitional National Government should establish a friendly relationship with Somalia's neighbouring countries, based on the respect for territorial integrity and national sovereignty as well as on regional co-operation.

The European Union will in February 2001 send a troika mission to Somalia in order to assess the situation in that country and to communicate its views to the authorities in Mogadishu, Garowe and Hargeisa.

Other specific EU initiatives with regard to Somalia are spelt out in the Action Plan for Somalia, which was elaborated by the High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration and approved by the European Council in Nice, in December 2000.