In surprise move, Somalia asks U.N. to end political mission
Somalia's
government has requested the termination of a U.N. political mission that has
advised it on peace-building, security reforms and democracy for over a decade,
according to a letter the foreign minister wrote to the Security Council.
The
request for the departure of the 360-member United Nations Assistance Mission
in Somalia (UNSOLD) when its mandate expires in October took the mission by
surprise, three U.N. officials told Reuters, asking not to be named.
In
the face of continuous conflict since 1991, including a two-decade insurgency
by al Qaeda-linked militants, Somali authorities have taken steps to restore
services and provide a measure of security.
But
the Horn of Africa nation of 17 million people remains among the world's most
violent and impoverished.
The
end of the political mission is separate to a U.N.-mandated African Union
safe-keeping mission, currently comprising at least 10,000 soldiers, which is
due to withdraw and hand over to the Somali state by the end of this year.
The
three U.N. officials confirmed the authenticity of the May 5 letter, which was
circulated on social media on Thursday. Somali officials did not respond to
requests for comment.
'MORE
ASSERTIVE' STATE
In
the letter, Minister of Foreign Affairs Aimed Moa Fiji did not give reasons,
saying only that the government believes "it is now appropriate to
transition to the next phase of our partnership".
A
Somali presidential adviser confirmed the authenticity of the letter and said
Somalia no longer needed support from the U.N. to coordinate with the
international community as was the case under UNSOM.
"UNSOM
played a critical role, but now it outlived its usefulness," the adviser
said, adding that the mission also had a high annual cost of $100 million.
Matt
Bryden, a Somalia analyst and co-founder of the Sahan think tank, noted that
the federal government had previously accused UNSOM of interfering in internal
affairs.
President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been moving to centralise authority through changes
to the constitution and other reforms while UNSOM has been trying to strike a
balance between the federal government's agenda and the desire of individual
states for more autonomy, Bryden said.
"We
should expect more assertive and unilateral FGS (federal government of Somalia)
initiatives with respect to constitutional revisions, federalism, and
elections," Bryden said.
In
a statement to Reuters, UNSOM said Somalia's request was "a testament to
the work of UNSOM in support of the Somali authorities these past years".
Other
U.N. offices, including humanitarian agencies, would continue to operate in
Somalia, said UNSOM, which was created in 2013.
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