TALKING POINTS FOR SOMALIA CONSULTATIONS JANUARY

UNCLAS STATE 003380 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM PHSA SUBJECT: TALKING POINTS FOR SOMALIA CONSULTATIONS JANUARY 14 ¶1. Action Request: USUN should draw from the building blocks in paragraph 2 below in drafting the statement for the UN Security COUNCIL briefing and consultations on Somalia on January 14, 2010. End action. ¶2. Begin building blocks: -- Special Representative Ould-Abdallah, thank you for your briefing today. Today I would like to address three areas: the security environment, humanitarian needs and the political process. -- The United States continues to watch events in Somalia with concern. Somalia,s tenuous security environment permeates daily life and impedes progress on all levels. The horrific December 3 suicide attack on the Hotel Shamo exemplifies the will of terrorist groups to target both the TFG and innocent civilians. The United States condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms. -- The absence of security makes it exceedingly difficult for the TFG to fulfill the transitional tasks it is charged with undertaking in accordance with the Djibouti Peace Process. Security must improve in order for political stability to take hold, for large-scale economic development to become possible, and for recovery to begin. -- To this end, the United States supports deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to its fully authorized strength of 8,000, and the development of the TFG,s security institutions, which is central to our strategy of stabilizing Mogadishu and supporting the Somali peace process. -- The UN Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOA) has made a significant positive impact upon AMISOM forces as it continues to deliver food, fuel, and medical supplies and helps to enhance security and communications. We are grateful for the details of today,s report, which help ensure accountability and transparency in the UN,s logistic support assistance. -- Since the deployment of AMISOM in 2007, the United States has provided over $171 million in bilateral assistance for logistical and equipment support as well as pre-deployment training and equipment to the Burundian and Ugandan forces on the ground. -- We look forward to the renewal of AMISOM,s mandate later this month, which gives us an opportunity to rally international support and urge the fulfillment of pledges to AMISOM,s mission. -- We also encourage international support for the development of Somali military, police, and security forces, as well as greater coordination and training of TFG forces. (-- Also critical for Somalia,s stability are international efforts to prosecute suspected pirates who seek to divert critical assistance and stymie international trade. These efforts should be strengthened and broadened to ensure an environment in which people and goods can be transported safely. For this reason, we welcome the International Trust Fund Supporting the Initiatives of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia which we hope will assist international efforts to combat piracy off of Somalia,s coast.) -- Secondly, I would like to raise the humanitarian situation. The Secretary-General,s report notes that the current humanitarian situation is dire: up to three million Somalis are in need of food assistance and the number of internally displaced persons has reached 1.55 million, of which the vast majority are located in the southern and central areas. -- Yet, it is in these very areas that al-Shaabab has forced the suspension or closure of desparately-needed relief rograms, including the World Food Program by rejecting humanitarian aid, threatening staff, and demanding high fees. The result is that approximately 900,000 people in southern Somalia, or one third of the WFP,s caseload, will no longer have access to critical assistance. -- The United States has been the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia and remains committed to coordinating with the international community to meet the humanitarian needs of the Somali people. We will work with the WFP and other UN and non-governmental partners to continue to provide vital humanitarian assistance in spite of these challenging conditions. -- We are also becoming increasingly concerned by recent incidents of gender-based violence in IDP settlements, as well as the recruitment of child soldiers. We welcome the Office of the High Commissioner for HUMAN RIGHTS and UNPOS,s work to develop a technical framework with the TFG so that prevention efforts may work better targeted in the future. -- Third, I would like to emphasize that in spite of overwhelming challenges and intolerable security conditions, over the past three months the TFG has persevered and even made strides. The United States welcomes the TFG,s efforts to expand its support base, enhance cooperation with Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama,a, and conduct a review of its relationship with Puntland. The TFG,s work to finalize the 2010 budget, continue development of the national constitution, and address security challenges, including through the Joint Security Committee, is also promising. It is also a positive sign that armed opposition elements continue to defect and opt instead to work towards peace with the TFG. -- The United States continues to encourage all Somali stakeholders to abide by the provisions of the Djibouti Agreement and we reject efforts aimed at developing alternate peace processes that only threaten to destabilize the TFG,s efforts at local and national political reconciliation. -- The United States welcomes the UN,s work to establish a footprint in Somalia, as mandated by UNSCR 1872. We also welcome UNPOS, security sector assessment, which it co-led with the United States and the European Union. This assessment will assist in the development of military, police, justice, intelligence, and other programs which will build Somalia,s capacity to ultimately deliver its own security. -- Finally, it is clear that instability in Somalia continues to be fueled by spoilers. In one of its final acts of last year, this COUNCIL sent a clear message to those spoilers, including al-Shabaab and foreign governments, who seek to undermine the TFG and wreak havoc on innocent lives. We will not tolerate fomenting instability in Somalia. The United States will continue to work with COUNCIL members to use all tools at our disposal to hold perpetrators of unrest accountable and promote stability in Somalia and the horn of Africa. ¶3. End Talking Points. CLINTON