Somalia: Djibouti Hosts Security Meeting

By Staff Writer

Djibouti-- – Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, along with the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union and Head of AMISOM Bourbacar G. Diarra and the UN Special Representative for Somalia, Doctor Augustine P. Mahiga, yesterday convened the Joint Security Committee (JSC) meeting in Djibouti.

Addressing the Committee, the Deputy Prime Minister of the TFG highlighted the importance of the JSC to fulfil one of the cardinal objectives of stabilizing the security of Somalia. Dr. Mahiga emphasized that the security strategies for Somalia must be derived from political objectives, particularly in the remaining period of the transition.

“The security strategy ought to be geared towards enabling the government to implement its key political objectives of reaching out to expand the political base, reconciliation and facilitating consultations on the constitutional making process,” he said.

Thanking the International Community for its support, Dr. Mahiga noted that the Somalia Trust Fund, set aside for paying AMISOM and TFG soldiers, needs urgent replenishment.

“I should take this opportunity to inform that the Trust Fund for paying both AMISOM and TFG soldiers is at its lowest,” he said.

Dr. Mahiga also urged the JSC to utilize a comprehensive approach to rebuilding Somali institutions and stressed the importance of making the Somali Security Force an all-inclusive entity which will include all stakeholders.

“We need to make the Somali security forces more representative of the Somali population with the participation of all clans and communities.”

A similar message was conveyed by Ambassador Bourbacar G. Diarra, one of the co-chairs of the JSC.

The EU Representative, who participated in the discussion, stressed the need to adopt and implement the National Security and Stabilization Plan, Security Sector Assessment, integration of trained soldiers in a proper command and control structure as well the need for the defectors’ policy.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Mahiga recognized the growing responsibilities of the JSC and appealed to the Committee to create a full time Secretariat which can also serve the High Level Committee (HLC) and the Coordination and Monitoring Committee (CMC).

The JSC was established by the Djibouti conference in 2009 to strengthen the security capabilities of the Somalia government and more recently to facilitate the coordination of international support to the TFG Security Sector. Its members consist of senior TFG officials, AMISOM, UNPOS and other members of the International Community including EU/EC, IGAD, League of Arab States, Norway, UK, Spain, Sweden, and the US.