THE ROADMAP TO END THE TRANSITION IN SOMALIA: PROGRESS REPORT, 24 NOVEMBER 2011
1. SECURITY:
1.1. The Joint Security Committee (JSC) has been meeting regularly for the past few months. The August JSC meeting was the first JSC meeting that took place within Mogadishu. The October JSC meeting was conducted in the new 2-day format called for by the Roadmap and, for the first time, included representatives from regional stakeholders, Puntland, Galmudug and ASWJ.
1.2. The National Security and Stabilization Plan 2011-2014 (NSSP) has been drafted and finalized with input from regional stakeholders, Puntland, Galmudug and ASWJ. The NSSP was debated and approved by the Council of Ministers at an emergency meeting on 26 October 2011. On 29 October, the NSSP was submitted to Parliament, for discussion and adoption when Parliament resumed after the Islamic Holiday (Eid) break.
1.3. The TFG-controlled security zone has been expanded – today, 98% of Mogadishu is under the control of the TFG. The ongoing stabilization of Mogadishu continues as the Somali Police and TFG forces consolidate gains after the August 2011 expulsion of Al-Shabaab from Mogadishu. New district administrations have been reestablished in the newly-liberated areas of Mogadishu.
1.4. The Somali Police and the National Somali Security Agency conduct regular patrols all over Mogadishu to strengthen law and order. They have established regular checkpoints around the city where they examine vehicles and collect arms.
1.5. The Prime Minister has established a special taskforce made up of Somali Police and TFG forces to secure humanitarian aid distribution in Mogadishu.
1.6. Furthermore, the Prime Minister holds regular meetings in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and National Security, with the Mayor, the Police Commissioner and the 16 District Commissioners, to discuss Mogadishu security.
The District Peace and Security Committees implement the outcomes and decisions of these meetings.
1.7. Outside Mogadishu, the TFG continues the offensive against Al-Shabaab in the south of the country in a joint military operation with Kenyan troops in Lower Juba and Middle Juba regions. In Gedo region, the TFG is in the process of stabilizing the region after succeeding in ousting Al-Shabaab and in creating a buffer-zone to deliver humanitarian aid.
1.8. On piracy issues, the Prime Minister has supported the work of the Anti-Piracy Taskforce already in place. The Taskforce is undertaking capacity building activities and rebuilding a robust national coastguard; coordinating between the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Interior and National Security, and the Ministry of Fisheries; and sharing information and collaborating with regional administrations under the Kampala Process on Piracy.
2. CONSTITUTION:
2.1. The Committee of Experts was appointed on 23 September 2011, made up of 9 members selected by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Constitution in consultation with stakeholders. This committee is currently in the process of preparing for the National Consultative Constitutional Conference.
2.2. A National Consultative Constitutional Conference is scheduled to take place in the second week of December 2011 in Garowe, Puntland. The topics to be discussed will include Federalism and Decentralized System of Administration and the outstanding contentious issues.
2.3. The Joint Committee to prepare for the adoption of the Draft Constitution and to prepare recommendations on the reform of the Federal Parliament was appointed on 20 November 2011.
2.4. On 17 November 2011, the Council of Ministers appointed a Cabinet Select Committee on Election Preparation. By 15 January 2012, this committee will deliver (1) draft legislation related to the establishment of an independent electoral commission and nominations for members of the electoral commission, (2) the rules governing the conduct of elections at district, regional and national level, and (3) the laws related to the formation and registration of political parties.
3. POLITICAL OUTREACH AND RECONCILIATION:
3.1. On 4-6 September 2011, the Consultative Conference on the Roadmap took place in Mogadishu, concluding successfully with the signing of this Roadmap. This meeting represented the first gathering of the TFG, Puntland, Galmudug and ASWJ.
3.2. The Mogadishu Consultative Conference was preceded by several high-level visits, including visits to Puntland by TFG Prime Minister H.E. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali on 26 August 2011 and by TFG President H.E. Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on 28 August 2011. Furthermore, TFG Prime Minister H.E. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali visited Galmudug on 30 August 2011, signing a historic 8-point plan on strengthening relations between the two administrations.
3.3. On 19 September 2011, a high-level reconciliation dialogue took place in Nairobi between the TFG Minister of Interior and National Security, the TFG Minister of Constitution and Reconciliation, the Deputy SRSG, and emerging regional administrations.
3.4. As part of the NSSP consultation process, the TFG sent a mission on 16 October 2011, led by the Deputy Minister for Interior and National Security to Puntland and Galmudug and to ASWJ areas. Another mission was undertaken in October 2011 by the TFG Chief of Armed Forces and AMISOM; one of the outcomes of this mission was the recruitment of soldiers from all regions for joint training in Uganda, to ensure the TFG forces represent all parts of the country.
3.5. Over the past 3 months, the TFG has supported local level reconciliation and peace building initiatives across the country, including but not limited to, sending reconciliation delegations to Galmudug, Himan and Heeb, Puntland and Gedo to reconcile conflicting groups.
3.6. Inclusivity and broad participation is one of the principles underlying the implementation of the Roadmap and civil society is a key partner of the TFG. Accordingly, a Civil Society Organization Consultative Meeting has been scheduled for 26-28 November 2011. The constituencies that will be represented are business community, traditional elders, diaspora, intellectuals and artists, NGOs and professional associations, religious leaders, women groups and youth representatives.
4. GOOD GOVERNANCE:
4.1. The Prime Minister has established several mechanisms for greater coordination and information sharing between Somali and international development and humanitarian agencies, as follows:
4.1.1. The Humanitarian Drought Response Ministerial Committee is a high-level committee of 8 Cabinet Ministers that was created on 30 June 2011 to oversee the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the influx of IDPs. This committee still meets weekly with international partners, local NGOs and the Somali Disaster Management Agency in order to ensure humanitarian goals continue to be met.
4.1.2. The Somali Disaster Management Agency was created as an independent agency by the Prime Minister on 25 July 2011 to manage all disaster issues within the country, and in particular the current famine situation. The agency has produced monthly reports since its establishment three months ago. The reports discuss all the incidents that occurred in the past month, the challenges faced by humanitarian actors, and the ongoing needs.
4.1.3. The Humanitarian Coordination Office was created in September 2011 within the Office of the Prime Minister. The Humanitarian Coordination Office is tasked with ensuring that the information flow between the TFG and humanitarian partners is smooth and efficient. In addition, the Humanitarian Coordination Office has brought together the Ministry of Interior and National Security, the Somali Disaster Management Agency, the UN OCHA and the Mogadishu Mayor’s Office into a working group to meet regularly and address the humanitarian crisis.
4.2. On 17 November 2011, the Select Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption reported back to the Council of Ministers on the legislative framework and recommended the reactivation of Law No. 10 of 1968 to reestablish the Bureau for Investigation of Corruption. By order of the Council of Ministers, the reestablished Bureau must update the laws within 60 days. The Interim Commissioners have been nominated and are in the process of being vetted. Their names will be announced shortly.
4.3. As an example of the TFG’s active stance on combating corruption, in October 2011, two Mogadishu district commissioners were arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced after they were found guilty of diverting food aid.
Source: The Nomad Times
No comments:
Post a Comment