Somalia: Politics and Government

(asked on 16th September 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) political, and (2) security, situation in Somalia; and what discussions they have had with international partners in order to prevent political instability in that country.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 30th September 2021

On 18 September, the Minister for Africa published a national statement setting out the UK's deep concern for the escalation of the current political crisis, which risks the safety and future of the Somali people. We are working closely with international partners, including in Mogadishu, to discourage Somalia's leaders from unilateral actions that could deepen tensions or increase the risk of violence and instead to encourage meaningful mediation. As penholder on Somalia at the UN Security Council, the UK tabled a discussion on the ongoing situation on 17 September, following which the UN Security Council issued a joint press statement.

The UK is also concerned by the impact of this crisis on the broader political and security situation. It is vital that all stakeholders maintain peace to avoid any risks to Somalia's stability and security. We have underlined the need to restore focus on the priority of conducting peaceful elections, as agreed on 27 May, without further delay to prevent further insecurity and avoid exacerbating the grave humanitarian challenges the country is facing. Likewise, it is important that Somalia's security forces remain focused on countering the common threat from Al Shabaab, who stand to gain from this ongoing political crisis, and progress discussions on a successor mission to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to support the transition to Somali-led security, in accordance with the Somalia Transition Plan.

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