P6_TA(2006)0322
Somalia
European Parliament resolution on Somalia
The European Parliament,
—having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Somalia,
—having regard to the previous statements on Somalia made by the High Representative for Foreign and
Security Policy of the Council of the Union, Mr Solana, and by Commissioner Louis Michel,
—having regard to the Memorandum of Understating signed in Brussels on 28 March 2006 by the
President of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, and the President of the Commission, Manuel Barroso,the Somali Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed Ghedi, and Commissioner Louis Michel,
—having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. concerned by the prolonged civil war in Somalia and its implications for the peace and reconciliation
process in that country, as well as for the security and stability of the Horn of Africa as a whole,
B. whereas the militia of the Union of Islamic Courts seized control of much of southern Somalia —inclu-
ding the capital Mogadishu —on 4 June 2006 when they drove out the faction leaders who had control-
led Mogadishu since 1991, when the central administration of Muhammad Siyad Barre was toppled,
C. whereas, unfortunately, Somalia has not had an effective national government for over 15 years and the
Union of Islamic Courts has started creating radical Islamic courts with a view to taking charge in theareas it controls; whereas, however, tension persists due to clan loyalties,
D. whereas the United Nations Security Council has required the adoption of a National Security Plan in res-
ponse to the request by the African Union for a partial lifting of the arms embargo limited to supporting
the peace-keeping mission under UN mandate,
E. whereas there are fears that the Union of Islamic Courts includes groups accused of having links to
Al-Qaida and international terrorism, which may threaten the security of not only neighbouring coun-tries but also the European Union and the rest of the world,
F. whereas the Arab League initiated a dialogue in Khartoum on 22 June 2006 between the Transitional
Federal Institutions and the Union of Islamic Courts in which the Transitional Federal Government recog-nised the “reality” of the Union of Islamic Courts which, in return, recognised the “legality” of the
government; whereas the two parties thereby agreed not to fight each other but to continue to engage indialogue for peace and reconciliation,
G. whereas the recent meeting of the Union of Islamic Courts delegation with US officials in Khartoum has
opened new prospects for confidence-building measures among the various parties,13.12.2006 874 Il-Ġurnal Uffiċjali ta' l-Unjoni Ewropea
Il-Ħamis, 6 ta' Lulju 2006MT
1. Strongly condemns the recent fighting in and around Mogadishu and the events in Jowhar and elsew-
here in the country, which resulted in the loss of life of numerous Somali civilians and the murder of
Mr Martin Adler, a Swedish freelance photographer at a pro-Union of Islamic Courts meeting;
2. Appeals to all parties concerned to refrain from any action likely to escalate the current tensions, to
pursue the path of dialogue and to extend the necessary cooperation to the Transitional Federal Governmentand parliament as the legitimate central authorities in Somalia governed by the framework of theTransitional Federal Charter;
3. Maintains that, if the international community considers the transitional institutions to have sole legiti-
macy, pending the holding of free elections for Somali citizens, they must be given the necessary resourcesto establish the necessary institutions, such as a police force;
4. Supports the initiatives taken by the African Union, the Arab League and the International Authority
on Development (IGAD) —including the communiqué issued by the extraordinary session of the IGAD
Council of Ministers held in Nairobi on 13 June 2006 —as well as their central role in the efforts aimed at
sustaining the peace and reconciliation process in Somalia;
5. Urges the Transitional Federal Institutions and the Union of Islamic Courts to fully assume their respon-
sibilities in the implementation of the dialogue initiated in Khartoum;
6. Calls on the newly formed International Somalia Contact Group, consisting of the African Union, the
United Nations, the European Union, the United States, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Tanzania and others, to focuson issues of governance and institution-building, humanitarian assistance for the whole of Somali peopleand improving regional stability and security as a means to greater policy coordination among members ofthe international community;
7. Calls on the EU, in coordination with the African Union and working closely with IGAD and the Arab
League, to provide the requisite political, financial and logistical support to facilitate the peace process, inclu-
ding the deployment of the African Union Peace Support Mission reaffirmed by the recent African Union
Summit in July 2006;
8. Calls on the international community, and the EU in particular, to increase the provision of humanita-
rian assistance to internally displaced persons and the populations in need;
9. Calls on all parties concerned to respect international humanitarian law and allow relief agencies access
to the populations in need, as well as to ensure the protection of humanitarian workers;
10. Urges strict application and monitoring of the arms embargo against Somalia imposed by the UN in
1992, for which scant respect is shown, and insists that a partial lifting of the embargo should in no way belinked to a possible UN-mandated peace support mission;
11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretaries-Gene-
ral of the UN, the African Union and IGAD, the President of the Transitional Federal Government of Soma-lia, the Chairman of the Union of Islamic Courts and the Pan-African Parliament.13.12.2006 875 Il-Ġurnal Uffiċjali ta' l-Unjoni Ewropea
Il-Ħamis, 6 ta' Lulju 2006MT