MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Somalia
23.11.2021 - (2021/2981(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure
Pedro Marques, Andrea Cozzolino
on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0554/2021
B9‑0565/2021
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Somalia
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Somalia;
– having regard to the joint EU-Africa Strategy;
– having regard to the Cotonou Agreement;
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
– having regard to the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa;
– having regard to the EU-Somalia National Indicative Programme for Federal Republic Somalia 2014-2020;
– having regard to the AMISOM statement of 8 November 2017 announcing its intention to initiate a phased withdrawal of troops from Somalia starting in December 2017, with the intention of a full withdrawal by 2020;
– having regard to the statement by the HR/VP on the political situation in Somalia of 18 September 2021;
– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2568 on the situation in Somalia of 21 March 2021;
– having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. Whereas, the humanitarian situation in Somalia continues to deteriorate with multiple crises including political instability, terrorist activities, food insecurity, drought, the climate crisis and COVID 19 threatening stability, human well-being and livelihoods, causing large displacement across the country and region;
B. Whereas international aid agencies have warned that Somalia is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe with one in four people facing high levels of acute food insecurity and more than 800,000 children under the age of five at risk of acute malnutrition. Whereas the UN has stated that Somalia is facing the worst funding shortage in six years;
C. Whereas Somalia has been wholly unable to respond to the COVID 19 pandemic due to the absence of a functioning health care system, a lack of ventilators, pharmaceutical supplies and personnel; Whereas Somalia like many African countries, has been unable to vaccinate it’s population due to a lack of vaccine availability;
D. Whereas approximately 1,000 civilians have been killed or injured in armed conflict so far in 2021 with Al Shabaab responsible for most of the civilian casualties; Whereas militants have increased attacks and targeted assassinations of Government officials in an attempt to disrupt the 2021 electoral process;
E. Whereas serious human rights abuses and violence against journalists persist with total impunity in Somalia including killings, arbitrary arrests, intimidations, censorship and attacks on news media organisations;
F. Whereas ahead of the elections the Federal Government of Somalia’s security forces and regional authorities, namely in Puntland, as well as Al Shabaab have escalated attacks on journalists through intimidation, harassment and arbitrarily arrests; Whereas independent media is an essential element of a fair electoral process;
G. Whereas veteran journalist Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled, Director of Radio Mogadishu, was murdered by Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu on 20 November 2021 following the coldblooded murder of renown journalist Jamal Farah Adan in Galkayo on 1 March 2021;
H. Whereas Somali workers are incessantly denied their fundamental human and labour rights and their occupational health and safety is regularly endangered and poorly paid, particularly workers employed by the Turkish Company FAVORI LLC which is operating Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport as highlighted by the International Trade Unions Confederation (ITUC), Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF);
I. Whereas Presidential elections were due to be completed in October 2021 in a process which has since been delayed following delays from the Federal Member States in holding elections of the members of both houses of the Federal Parliament of Somalia which in turn would elect the President of Somalia;
J. Whereas clan delegates are set to appoint 275 MPs for the lower house, whilst Somalia's five state legislatures have already elected 54 senators for upper house; Whereas authorities have committed to completing Lower House elections by the 24th of December 2021; Whereas successfully completing the election processes will be crucial in ensuring Somalia’s security and long term development;
K. Whereas 26 percent of women were elected to the Upper House, representing an important milestone in Somalia’s development and the path to gender equality; Whereas further effort must be made to meet the 30 percent quota for the Lower House and to see the full inclusion of women in Somalia’s political, social and economic decision making;
L. Whereas foreign interference in the internal political processes and organisation of elections has hindered their timely conclusion, specially the disputes between the Federal Government of Somalia and United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed Federal Member States of Puntland and Jubaland;
M. Whereas the UN mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) will expire on 31 December 2021; whereas the federal government of Somalia and the AU have been unable to agree on a reconfiguration of the mission under which more countries would send troops in addition to the 20,000 already contributed by six AU members;
N. Whereas on 5 November Somalia declared AU envoy Simon Mulongo a persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within seven days, accused of engaging in activities that were incompatible with the mandate of AMISOM;
O. Whereas urgent progress is needed in the security transition to ensure continuity of international security support to reflect the challenges on the ground; Whereas military action alone will not overcome instability and other challenges in the county; Whereas reinforcing institutions, the rule of law, providing essential services such as health and education, ensuring food security and sustainable development, fighting extremism are essential for Somalia’s long term stability;
P. Whereas the EU has committed €286 million to Somalia for the period 2014-2020 focusing on supporting the rule of law, security, food security and education.
1. Expresses its grave concern at the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Somalia. Condemns all violations and abuses of human rights and indiscriminate attacks directed against civilians, humanitarian workers, journalists and election officials by terrorist groups, notably Al Shabaab;
2. Calls on the EU, its Member States and international partners to urgently increase humanitarian assistance in line with requirements and provide additional assistance to COVID-19 response, namely through vaccine sharing, the provision of essential medical supplies and pharmaceutical products. Underlines that the international community must help do whatever it takes to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control in Somalia and the region, including through greater distribution and manufacturing capacity of vaccines;
3. Recalls that lasting stability and peace in Somalia can only be achieved through social inclusion and good governance based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law; Underlines therefore that the electoral process must proceed peacefully, in line with the previously agreed timetable of 27 May 2021. Calls on Somalia’s leaders to show restraint and refrain from any actions that could escalate political tensions or violence in order to establish stability and deny Al-Shabaab the opportunity to gain political influence. Cautions against any further initiatives leading to an extension of prior mandates without broad support from Somali stakeholders and oppose any parallel processes or partial elections;
4. Is highly concerned at the number and well-being of refugees and IDPs in Somalia. Calls on the EU to engage with the Federal Government of Somalia to deliver protection, assistance and durable solutions in line with international obligations. Welcomes the Federal Government of Somalia’s ratification of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa and calls on the Commission to assist Somalia develop national legal frameworks and the safe treatment of IDPs and refugees;
5. Is very concerned about the social and economic damage caused by climate change including extreme weather events and the locust plague. Welcomes Somalia’s commitments at COP26, for a Just Transition based on social dialogue and prioritisation of renewable energy to cover energy needs of Somalia;
6. Deplores attacks by terrorist groups on humanitarian workers, destruction of infrastructure and diversion of aid. Recalls that under international law that unhindered access for the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to persons in need across Somalia must be guaranteed;
7. Recognises the role the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has played in establishing security in the face of the threat posed by Al Shabaab and armed opposition groups, and expresses support Somalia Transitional Plan (STP) regarding the AMISOM operations and calls for its timely implementations.
8. Underlines that Somali authorities should have primary responsibility for ensuring security in their country, but are not yet in a position to take full responsibility for this in the fight against Al Shabaab and armed opposition groups; Recalls therefore that ensuring stability will require international support from the EU, UN and AU in which Somali authorities should play a key role;
9. Urges the United Arab Emirates to constructively use its engagement with the different regional administrations in Somalia in a manner that does not jeopardise the ongoing efforts for state and peace building, while promoting stability and at the same time preserving the unity of the country;
10. Welcomes the increased representation of women in the parliamentary elections, noting that greater representation is still needed. Stresses the important role women play in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Calls for the full, equal and meaningful participation and involvement of women at all levels in accordance with the Somali women’s charter;
11. Condemns the ongoing sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in Somalia, and calls for continued and concerted national efforts to tackle sexual and gender-based violence including the effective domestication and application of ILO convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work which Somalia ratified, enactment of progressive anti-female genital mutilation legislations both at State and Federal levels;
12. Deplore recent attacks on journalists and media personnel who have a legitimate role to play in state building and the electoral process and should be able to conduct their work without fear or intimidation. Calls on Somali authorities, notably those in Puntland and the Federal Government of Somalia to conduct and conclude investigations to this year’s killings of prominent journalists Jamal Farah Adan and Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled and bring those responsible to justice;
13. Calls for the swift and credible conclusions of the investigations of the killings of 55 journalists murdered as ordered by Banadir (Mogadishu) Regional Court following the successful application from the National Union of Somali Journalists to tackle the rampant impunity of crimes committed against journalists;
14. Urges the Federal Government of Somalia and its Federal Member States to declare without delay moratorium of the arrest and imprisonment of journalists while performing their journalistic duties as proposed by the Reporters Without Borders and the National Union of Somali Journalists, and end the repeated use of Somalia’s old and outdated Penal Code in punishing journalists and curtailing media freedom and freedom of expression;
15. Call on the Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States and the international community to ensure foreign or multinational companies operating in Somalia fully respect, uphold and apply international human rights treaties and other legal instruments including Somalia’s provisional constitution and laws as well as UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to protect the inalienable rights of Somali citizens specially workers;
16. Urges Turkish Company FAVORI LLC which is managing Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport to end ongoing abuses and violations of Somali workers’ labour rights without any reprisals and fully respect and uphold the workers’ rights of freedom of association, organise and bargain collectively while guaranteeing their occupational health and safety. Urges the Somali and Turkish governments to enforce national and international laws to protect Somali workers’ rights;
17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice‑President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the African Union, the President, the Prime Minister and the Parliament of Somalia, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.