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STORY: UN / SOMALIA
TRT: 05:16
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 FEBRUARY 2023, NEW YORK CITY
RECENT - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
22 FEBRUARY 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Anita Kiki Gbeho, UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia:
“The Federal Government of Somalia has – despite many challenges - made significant progress in advancing its key national priorities. Close cooperation with Federal Member States has been sustained, momentum in the fight against Al Shabaab regained, and Somalia remains on track to complete the debt relief process in 2024.”
4. Med shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Anita Kiki Gbeho, UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia:
“The launch of the National Action Plan is timely as it provides a framework to address the challenges that persist for women in Somalia. More has to be done to enable equal representation in all facets of public life.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Anita Kiki Gbeho, UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia:
“Al-Shabaab continues to pose a serious threat to peace and security in Somalia. The year 2022 was the deadliest for civilians since 2017, with 60 percent increase in civilian casualties as compared to 2021. Over the past few months, the Federal Government has made progress in countering this threat by targeting Al-Shabaab’s military and financial operations and ideological narrative.”
8. Wide shot, delegates
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Anita Kiki Gbeho, UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia:
“The current drought is unprecedented in its severity. Humanitarian needs continue to steadily rise, with about 8.3 million people – nearly half of Somalia’s estimated population – requiring assistance and protection in 2023.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Anita Kiki Gbeho, UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia:
“While famine has been prevented for now, famine remains a threat if the April to June rains underperform as forecast and humanitarian assistance is not sustained.”
12. Med shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohamed El-Amine Souef, Special Representative of the Chairperson, African Union Commission for Somalia / Head, African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS):
Al-Shabaab is now under immense operational pressure. The group is losing vital terrain. It is failing to maintain its forceful hold on its centre of gravity – the local community support. This continues to be demonstrated by local communities increasingly joining the Somalia security forces (SSF)-led and owned offensive.”
14. Med shot, Bahous sitting
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations / Executive Director, UN-Women:
“Council Members have raised the importance of the 30 percent quota for women and new legislation on sexual violence. These two issues have been a top priority for the UN in Somalia.”
16. Med shot, delegates
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations / Executive Director, UN-Women:
“And yet, the quota was not met, women’s representation fell, sexual violence has increased, and the Sexual Offences Bill adopted unanimously by the Council of Ministers five years ago has still not been passed by parliament. Instead, its opponents are pushing for alternative legislation that would legalize child marriage, omit the age of consent, reduce the type of admissible evidence, and take the rights of survivors.”
18. Wide shot, Security Council
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations / Executive Director, UN-Women:
“Despite the prevalence of sexual violence committed with high levels of impunity and targeted attacks against women in public life in Somalia, none of the listings of the Sanctions Committee in Somalia since 2014 mention sexual violence or women’s rights, including for the three Al-Shabaab individuals added in 2021. These sanctions continue to be gender blind.”
20. Wide shot, Security Council
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations / Executive Director, UN-Women:
“You have repeatedly called for women’s meaningful participation. But we need you to demand it and be more specific about what you mean and what you expect.”
22. Med shot, delegates
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Abukar Dahir Osman, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Somalia:
“What is happening in Lascanood today is a crime against humanity and it is against the values of the Somali people. In that regard, there can be no impunity of such crimes of indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
24. Wide shot, Security Council
25. Wide shot, Frazier walking to the stakeout
26. SOUNDBITE (English) Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Malta:
“The election of Sadiya Yasin Haji Samatar, the first woman to hold the post of First Deputy Speaker, is a commendable achievement, but threats made against her and other politically exposed women, must cease and, if necessary, protective measures put in place.”
27. Wide shot, delegates leaving the stakeout
Addressing Security Council Members on the situation in Somalia, UN-Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, said, “You have repeatedly called for women’s meaningful participation. But we need you to demand it and be more specific about what you mean and what you expect.”
Briefing the Security Council today (22 Feb), Bahous noted, “Council Members have raised the importance of the 30 percent quota for women and new legislation on sexual violence. These two issues have been a top priority for the UN in Somalia.”
And yet, she continued, “the quota was not met, women’s representation fell, sexual violence has increased, and the Sexual Offences Bill adopted unanimously by the Council of Ministers five years ago has still not been passed by parliament. Instead, its opponents are pushing for alternative legislation that would legalize child marriage, omit the age of consent, reduce the type of admissible evidence, and take the rights of survivors.”
The UN-Women Executive Director also said, “Despite the prevalence of sexual violence committed with high levels of impunity and targeted attacks against women in public life in Somalia, none of the listings of the Sanctions Committee in Somalia since 2014 mention sexual violence or women’s rights, including for the three Al-Shabaab individuals added in 2021. These sanctions continue to be gender blind.”
Also at today’s Security Council Meeting, Anita Kiki Gbeho, UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, said that the Federal Government of Somalia has – despite many challenges - made significant progress in advancing its key national priorities. Close cooperation with Federal Member States has been sustained, momentum in the fight against Al Shabaab regained, and Somalia remains on track to complete the debt relief process in 2024.”
She also said that the launch of the National Action Plan in Somalia “is timely as it provides a framework to address the challenges that persist for women in Somalia. More has to be done to enable equal representation in all facets of public life.”
To this end, she continued, enhancing women’s political participation also remains critical.
This includes the commitment Somalia’s political leaders made to the 30 percent women’s quota is not only codified in relevant legal and electoral frameworks but also safeguarded by all entities.
As the government seeks to advance its post-election priorities, including conducting operations against Al-Shabaab and managing the devastating impact of the drought, recurrent political conflicts continue to command the government’s attention.
In South-West State, for instance, clashes took place on 23 December related to the timing of the state presidential election.
A South-West State reconciliation conference held under the auspices of His Excellencies, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and the Speaker of the House of the People, Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, was able to avert an escalation and address political grievances.
In Laascaanood town, Sool region, the fighting that broke out on 6 February continues, and has led to increased humanitarian needs.
According to Gbeho , an interagency assessment reports more than 185,000 people displaced, (89 percent of whom are women and children).
At least 63 civilians were killed and over 363 injured.
Efforts to stop the fighting are ongoing, but the situation, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure, remains alarming.
Gbeho then reiterated the previous statements by the United Nations and international partners condemning the violence, calling for the resolution of political tensions through dialogue and calling for unhindered humanitarian access to urgently address the needs of those displaced and impacted.
The Deputy Special Representative said, “Al-Shabaab continues to pose a serious threat to peace and security in Somalia. The year 2022 was the deadliest for civilians since 2017, with 60 percent increase in civilian casualties as compared to 2021. Over the past few months, the Federal Government has made progress in countering this threat by targeting Al-Shabaab’s military and financial operations and ideological narrative.”
On the humanitarian situation, the Deputy Special Representative said that the current drought is unprecedented in its severity.
Humanitarian needs continue to rise steadily, with about 8.3 million people – nearly half of Somalia’s estimated population – requiring assistance and protection in 2023.
She added that while famine has been prevented for now, it remains a threat if the April to June rains underperform as forecast and humanitarian assistance is not sustained.
Mohamed El-Amine Souef, Head African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), said to the Security Council that Al-Shabaab is “now under immense operational pressure.”
He continued, “The group is losing vital terrain. It is failing to maintain its forceful hold on its centre of gravity – the local community support. This continues to be demonstrated by local communities increasingly joining the Somalia security forces (SSF)-led and owned offensive.”
Representing his Country, Abukar Dahir Osman, Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, said, “What is happening in Lascanood today is a crime against humanity, and it is against the values of the Somali people. In that regard, there can be no impunity of such crimes of indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
Earlier this morning, Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations and President of the Security Council, read a statement on behalf of the signatories to the Women, Peace and Security Shared Commitments (Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Japan, Switzerland, the UAE, and the UK).
She said, “The election of Sadiya Yasin Haji Samatar, the first woman to hold the post of First Deputy Speaker, is a commendable achievement, but threats made against her and other politically exposed women, must cease and, if necessary, protective measures put in place.”
