MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on a political solution with regard to the piracy off the Somali coast
23.11.2009
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Sabine Lösing, Willy Meyer, Ilda Figueiredo on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
B7‑0162/2009
European Parliament resolution on a political solution with regard to the piracy off the Somali coast
The European Parliament,
– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1816 of 2 June 2008,
– having regard to the Council Conclusions of December 2008 and July 2009,
– having regard to the International Conference in support of the Somali Security Institutions and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) held in Brussels on 23 April 2009,
– having regard to the International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports in 2009 about 'Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships',
– having regard to the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) Conclusions of 17 November 2009,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the political, social, economic and humanitarian situation in Somalia calls for particular and sustained attention from the international community, in order to support the peace process, and the restoration and reconstruction of the country,
B. whereas 1.5 million people depend on the World Food Programme (WFP) for their daily needs,
C. whereas, at the conference held in Brussels in April 2009, almost $ 213 million was pledged to help the new Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) bring about peace and stability, of which only $ 40 million has been provided,
D. whereas UN Security Council Resolution 1816 allowed the States cooperating with the country’s transitional government to enter the territorial waters of Somalia for the purpose of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea, in a manner consistent with relevant provisions of international law,
E. whereas Operation ATALANTA/EUNAVFOR was launched on 8 December 2008 and became fully operational in February 2009, with a mandate to help protect WFP vessels delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia, to protect vulnerable vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast and to prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast,
F. whereas the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is mostly funded by the African Peace Facility, which is financed from the resources from the long-term development envelope of the ninth European Development Fund (EDF),
G. whereas due to the critical situation in Somalia the EU Ministers for Defence decided at their meeting in Gothenburg at the end of September 2009 to send an EU mission to implement a security sector reform in Somalia; and whereas, on 17 November 2009, they approved a Crisis Management Concept for a possible ESDP mission to contribute to the training of TFG security forces and requested further planning work, without prejudice to subsequent decisions on a possible ESDP action,
H. whereas attacks in Somalia's territorial waters have increased fivefold and have spread over a much larger sea area since the launch of Operation ATALANTA/EUNAVFOR,
I. whereas, according to the IMB reports, attacks have increased from 19 in the first half of 2008 to 100 in the first half of 2009,
J. whereas the Government of Somalia was forced to lay off its coastguard because of a lack of financial resources due to the international debt crisis; whereas this created a vacuum exploited for illegal fishing in the territorial waters of Somalia and is one of the main reasons why Somali fishermen lost their livelihood,
1. States that there can be no military solution to the crisis in Somalia;
2. Calls on all neighbouring countries to refrain from intervening in Somalia;
3. Calls on the Commission and the Council to encourage the reconciliation process between the parties involved in the civil war in Somalia; urges the Commission and Council to ensure their technical and financial support for such a reconciliation process and mediation between the civil war parties;
4. Calls on the Commission and Council to revise their political strategy on Somalia and Operation ATALANTA/EUNAVFOR, as this cannot be considered a success, given the increasing number of attacks and more violent attacks;
5. Urges the Commission and the Council to focus on the situation in the country as a whole and, most importantly, on the need to address the humanitarian situation on the ground and to eradicate the real causes of the disastrous situation causing suffering to millions of Somalis;
6. Expresses its disagreement with the EU security sector reform mission and any possible European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) mission in Somalia or the region;
7. Stresses that resources for development aid, i.e. the EDF, should not be used for any military purpose; strongly objects to the use of the EDF for the training of military forces in the security sector reform in Somalia; states that the EDF must strictly remain an instrument to finance the fight to eradicate poverty and hunger in developing countries;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the President, Transitional Federal Government and Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia.