Statement to the International Contact Group for Somalia

It is a great pleasure for me to address the International Contact Group on Somalia.

We meet at a moment of hope for Somalia. The Djibouti process has led to the peaceful transition to a Government of National Unity, with a new president and prime minister, and an enlarged Parliament where former opponents now sit side by side. I would like to congratulate the Somali people on this achievement, and also thank SRSG Ould-Abdallah and his team at UNPOS for their relentless efforts in facilitating this progress.

It is a time of hope, but also of great challenges – for Somalia and the Somali people, and for the international community. With this new government, Somalis themselves are in a position where they can and should take the driver’s seat in the continued process towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous Somalia. There is now a heavy responsibility on all Somali leaders – whatever clan or political affiliation they may belong to – to put the interest of the country and its people above their narrower personal and clan interests.

With the support of the international community, the Somali leadership must act in three areas: the humanitarian field, regarding security issues, and continued political reconciliation.  

The first area is humanitarian: The latest reports on the return of some of the internally displaced to Mogadishu give us hope – because it tells us that the Somali people have hope! They have hope in the political process, and they hope that the new President in an inclusive manner will continue the on-going stabilization.  The new government will have to meet this hope by creating immediate peace dividends, demonstrating to the Somali population that peace pays. 

In a humanitarian perspective, the security of the population of South Central Somalia must be a priority. Without human security, it will continue to be impossible for Somalis to go about their daily lives. Without humanitarian access, basic service delivery will remain a daunting task.

I am hopeful for the future of Somalia, yet there are still many humanitarian challenges that remain. Millions of Somalis still depend on humanitarian assistance. Access must be ensured, so that they can receive the help they so desperately need. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure acceptable working conditions for international humanitarian organisations. This includes the responsibility to protect the humanitarian space they need to conduct their operations. This is furthermore a precondition for many humanitarian actors to move to Mogadishu and for their ability to conduct their operations throughout the territory of Somalia.

The second area is security: The recent political progress has brought guarded optimism also in the security sector. The new president has reached out to all clans and groups, and there are promising signs of dialogue.  We encourage President Sheikh Sharif and the new Government of National Unity to continue this approach, and urge all parties to exert themselves to avoid further bloodshed.

It is a serious concern for the international community that some spoilers are still working intensively towards destabilizing the situation and throwing Somalia into turmoil. They used to say all they wanted was the Ethiopians to leave Somalia. The Ethiopian troops have now left Somalia – and these groups continue to use every excuse to continue their violent acts. They have revealed themselves as enemies of peace, who do not have the best interest of the Somali people at heart. Last weekend they killed eleven Burundi peace keepers. We strongly condemn this act, and the attacks that have continued over the last few days.

The AU has a key role when it comes to stability. We urge all parties to respect the peacekeepers. The full deployment of AMISOM will be important for the future of Somalia. We also have to work to secure the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1863, ensuring financing of AMISOM and preparing the ground for a UN force. The efforts by the TFG and ARS to put in place a common security force is of great importance. Functioning police that can uphold the rule of law, and ensure the safety of ordinary Somalis is a key responsibility for the new government. The time of impunity must come to an end. 

The third area that we need to focus on is continued reconciliation: What has been achieved through the Djibouti process is extraordinary.  The new Government of National Unity is the visible evidence that the parties in Somalia have shown the will to compromise and co-operate. We encourage the President to continue his outreach to other groups, so that they may join the process of reconciliation, based on the principles of “human dignity, integrity, rights and fundamental freedoms and rule of law”, as it is so eloquently put in the Transitional Federal Charter.

The Somalis living in diaspora should also be included in this process. Their contribution will be a valuable asset when the rebuilding of Somalia can hopefully start after all these years of turmoil and war.

A continued peace-process – a coalition that will have to prove that they are willing to work together as a team – represents the best option for a successful transition to elections and stable governance.

I have personal experience as part of a coalition government. Even in a peaceful country like Norway it can be difficult to get parties with different views and policies to pull in the same direction. Please allow me therefore to share a piece of practical advice with the new Somali government: Put in place a mechanism to consult and resolve differences within the unity government as soon as possible. Your ability to compromise and put the common good first will decide the future of Somalia.

At the political front, it is also important that we remind ourselves that the transitional framework is meant to be just that – transitional. The goal is elections in 2011. The Transitional Federal Charter is a vehicle for moving the political process forward.

With more progress on security and reconciliation a new door will also be opened for implementation of recovery. I look forward to the session tomorrow on the planned International Conference on Somalia. A key step will be to ensure that the UN and international NGOs again can operate inside Somalia.

Let me finally say that Norway will continue its support to Somalia. The recent developments have opened some opportunities that we cannot afford to ignore. From the international side we should encourage the SRSG to continue his efforts – and I would like to reiterate the importance of the international community standing together and coordinating its efforts. The international community, represented here by the International Contact Group, should use this meeting to stand firmly and united behind the Somali process of reconciliation.  

Thank you Mr Chairman.