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On May 22, South African
Ambassador Kumalo, Chairman of the UN Security Council Committee on Somalia,
presented the latest Report of the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia to the UN
Security Council. Subsequently, Ambassador Kumalo wrote to the Ethiopian
Mission in New York regarding the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia
and recalling the embargo on delivery of arms and military equipment to
Somalia. Ambassador Negash, Deputy Head of the Ethiopian Mission to the
United Nations has now replied.
“To Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, Chairman of
the Security Council Committee on Somalia.
I have the honor to refer to your letter
S/AC.29/2008/OC.28, dated 23 May 2008, regarding the presence of Ethiopian
military in Somalia, and the apparent implication that this might be in
breach of the UN Arms Embargo on the delivery of arms and military equipment
to Somalia (UN Security Council Resolutions 733 (1992) and 1425 (2002)).
I am at a loss to understand why Your
Excellency should be raising this at this time as both the UN Security
Council, and indeed your committee previously, has made it clear that
Ethiopia’s presence in Somalia cannot be seen as a breach of the arms
embargo. The issue of the single incident mentioned in the most recent
Monitoring Group report (paragraphs 108-111), referring to a reported sale
of weapons and ammunition, is something separate. It will, of course, be
investigated should the Monitoring Group, or your Committee, be in a
position, or be prepared, to provide the necessary evidence.
Ethiopia is, of course, involved in Somalia
at the invitation of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and of the
Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia to assist the Government in
defense of the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) from persistent
attack by local and international extremist groups. Indeed, I believe Your
Excellency was present in Djibouti when President Abdullahi Yusuf of Somalia
addressed the Security Council Mission on June 2nd. I understand President
Abdullahi specifically noted that the presence of Ethiopian troops in
Somalia came under a bilateral agreement between Somalia and Ethiopia and
with the approval of the Transitional Federal Parliament.
Equally, I would in this context refer you
to Security Council Resolutions 1725 (2006), 1744 (2007), 1772 (2007), and
1801 (2008) which authorized IGASOM and AMISOM activities in Somalia, and
made clear Security Council support for the TFG and the TFIs. Resolution
1725 (2006) states the intention of the UN to “consider taking measures
against those that seek to prevent or block a peaceful dialogue process,
overthrow the Transitional Federal Institutions by force, or take action
that further threatens regional stability”. Resolution 1725 (2006) renews
the arms embargo but also authorizes the Inter-Governmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) and African Union (AU) states “to establish a protection
and training mission in Somalia”, accepting that the arms embargo should not
apply to supplies of weapons, military equipment, technical training and
assistance for the support or use of that force. This force was also
charged, inter alia, with the aims of maintaining and monitoring security in
Baidoa, protecting the members of the TFIs and Government as well as their
key infrastructure, and training the TFI’s security forces to help the
re-establishment of the national security forces of Somalia. Ethiopia’s role
in Somalia at the behest of the Somali Government, as you very well know,
has been just that.
Your Excellency would not, I am sure, wish
to ignore the role of multi-lateral institutions in regional peace and
security operations. The Security Council has consistently endorsed the idea
that co-operation between the UN and regional organizations is appropriate
for regional action as an integral part of collective security, and for the
maintenance of peace and security. In this context, we note that the
Security Council resolutions that have extended the action of the Monitoring
Group, 1676 (2006), 1724 (2006), 1766 (2007), 1811(2008), consistently
commend the efforts of the African Union and the Inter-Governmental
Authority on Development in support of the Transitional Federal Institutions
in Somalia. The Security Council therefore welcomed plans to set up IGASOM
and, subsequently, the creation of AMISON.
For their part, the AU and IGAD have
welcomed, and consistently commended, Ethiopian involvement in Somalia as
part of this process. In its Declaration on Somalia at the AU Summit in
January 2007, the AU noted “with satisfaction the recent positive
developments in Somalia which have resulted from Ethiopia’s intervention
upon the invitation of the legitimate Transitional Federal Government of
Somalia, and which has created unprecedented opportunity for lasting peace
in the country.” The Summit, which welcomed the decision of Ethiopia to
withdraw its troops and the fact that it had already started to do so, also
called for an immediate deployment of AMISOM in accordance with the decision
of the AU’s Peace and Security Council, “in order to avoid a security vacuum
following the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia.” A year later
the AU Summit’s Declaration on Somalia was again commending Ethiopia for
“its invaluable assistance to the TFG.”
Subsequent Security Council resolutions
authorizing the deployment and extension of AMISOM underline the importance
of maintaining stability and security throughout Somalia and of avoiding the
creation of any security vacuum. Resolution 1744 welcomes the decision of
Ethiopia to start withdrawing its forces without any reference to violations
of the arms embargo. We might recall in this context that Ethiopia has
played a major role in implementing the calls of the Security Council in
resolutions 1772 (2007) and 1801 (2008) “to take appropriate steps to ensure
the safety and security of AMISOM and humanitarian personnel.” This, as you
well know, has been one of the most significant activities of Ethiopian
troops for well over a year.
The regional body, IGAD, which unanimously
authorized the deployment of an IGAD peace support mission at its 2005
summit, fully endorsed the revised IGASOM deployment plan in September 2006,
and welcomed the AU decisions over AMISOM in January 2007.The January 2007
IGAD summit also recognized the “propitious conditions” created by
Ethiopia’s intervention the previous month, and welcomed “this opportunity”
to stabilize Somalia without creating a security vacuum. IGAD, like the AU,
has consistently commended the role of Ethiopia in Somalia.
Monitoring Group Reports have been
extensively criticized by some of the parties identified in the Reports as
being responsible for the most persistent major violations of the arms
embargo and the major source of regional instability. It was unfortunate
that your public presentation of this latest Report entirely ignored this
and made no reference to the perpetrators of these violations, despite the
fact that the Report provided impressive detail. It is a pity that an
apparent, and misguided, attempt to appear balanced, possibly in an effort
to propitiate such critics, should have led you into inaccurate comments. It
is equally regrettable that you decided not to allow any benefit of the
doubt to Ethiopia.
We are disappointed to see that our
relationship with a committee with which we had always believed we had civil
and correct dealings in the past, despite a number of differences, now
appears, under your chairmanship, to have degenerated into something
adversarial. This is not of our making. We would be delighted to apologize
if, as indeed we hope, we have misunderstood the tenor of Your Excellency’s
remarks.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the
assurances of my highest consideration. |