The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 194th
meeting held on 15 June 2009, considered the Report of the Chairperson of the
Commission on the situation in Somalia and adopted the following decision:
Council,
1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission
[PSC/PR/2(CXCIV)] on the situation in Somalia;
2. Recalls its earlier decisions and communiqués on the situation in Somalia;
3. Reiterates its strong condemnation of the recent acts of aggression
perpetrated against the TFG of Somalia, the civilian population and AMISOM in
Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia by armed groups, including foreign elements,
bent on undermining the peace and reconciliation process and regional stability.
Council expresses deep concern at the increased presence of foreign elements in
Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia;
4. Demands that the armed groups currently involved in attacks against the
TFG, the civilian population and AMISOM, immediately put an end to their actions,
which are tantamount to an attempt at unconstitutional change of Government, in
violation of the relevant AU instruments. In this respect, Council reiterates its call to
the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on those who oppose the peace and
reconciliation process in Somalia, in accordance with the communiqué of its 190th
meeting held on 22 May 2009;
5. Expresses deep concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in
Somalia, and calls on AU Member States and the international community at large
to urgently provide needed support to address the situation. Council, once again,
stresses the obligation by all the parties to comply with international humanitarian
law and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access and assistance to needy civilians;
6. Reiterates its call to all the Somali parties who have not yet done so, to join
the peace process without any precondition and any further delay;
7. Reiterates its support to the TFG and requests the Chairperson of the
Commission to continue to reach out to all concerned and convey the AU position to
fully support the TFG as the legitimate authority of Somalia;
8. Welcomes the steps being taken by the Commission for the deployment to
Mogadishu of the police and civilian components of AMISOM, and requests that the
process of relocation be accelerated in order to enhance the mission and its capacity
to fully discharge its mandate. In this regard, Council requests the Commission to
report on the steps taken to this effect;
9. Stresses the need to support socio-economic recovery, provision of basic
services and the rebuilding of governance institutions, including capacity building
and encourages the international community to extend the necessary assistance to
the TFG for these purposes, as well as the Commission to identify key areas in
which immediate support will be provided by the AU and its Member States in this
regard;
10. Further encourages AMISOM to continue to play a coordinating role in the
overall capacity building efforts in Somalia to ensure cohesion and standardization of
the process;
11. Appeals to all the AU Member States to urgently provide all the required
support to the TFG, including military support, to enable it to neutralize the armed
elements carrying out attacks against it;
12. Stresses the need for all concerned, both within the region and outside, to
refrain from any action likely to undermine the ongoing efforts and threaten the
security of AMISOM personnel, including through the provision of equipment, funds
and other forms of support to the armed groups opposed to the TFG;
13. Reiterates its appreciation to the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs)
namely Burundi and Uganda and AMISOM, as well as to all countries and institutions
providing support to the Mission. Council welcomes the pledge by Sierra Leone and
Malawi to contribute one battalion each to AMISOM and urges AU Member States
and partners to provide the required logistical support for the early deployment of
those battalions. Furthermore, Council urges the AU Member States that have
pledged troops to AMISOM to urgently deploy them. Council further calls upon the
Chairperson of the Commission to step up efforts to mobilize troops from Member
States to enable AMISOM to reach its authorized strength of nine battalions;
14. Expresses deep appreciation for the UN support package to AMISOM
pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 1863 (2009), and welcomes the efforts
being made towards its implementation. Council further expresses appreciation to
the international community for its support at the Brussels pledging conference on
Somalia and calls for the expeditious disbursement of all pledges made at the
conference;
15. Reiterates its call for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping
operation in Somalia, noting that the primary responsibility for international peace
and security remains that of the UN Security Council;
16. Decides to renew the mandate of AMISOM for a period of seven months
beginning from 17 June 2009. In this respect, Council requests the Commission to
review the AMISOM Rules of Engagement with a view to enhancing its response
mechanism so that the mission can better protect its personnel, equipment, key
installations, as well as provide more effective support to the TFG;
17. Decides to remain seized of the matter.