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The European Union announces more than €124 million to increase security in Somalia

Brussels, Sep 09, 2013, (SDN) –The EU has announced that it will provide additional support of more than €124 million to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). This new financial support by the EU will cover costs including troop allowances for all AMISOM soldiers, police and civilian components of the mission, as well as operational costs of the mission headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. This support will be critical in allowing AMISOM to continue to fulfill its United Nations Security Council mandate to carry out active peace support operations across Somalia.

Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development said: “A safer and more secure environment in Somalia will benefit the Somali people and development of the country as a whole. AMISOM plays an essential role in supporting Somalia on its path towards stability and lasting peace until the country can assume full responsibility for its own security.”

High Representative Catherine Ashton said: “The Somalia we see today demonstrates the progress that can be achieved through the strong commitment of a country and its partners to move beyond the misery of civil war and destitution. AMISOM and the Somali National Forces, with the support of the European Union, have succeeded in providing the security and space for politics to occur and for the process of reconciliation to begin. Building on the progress achieved so far, Somalia and its international partners will agree on 16 September in Brussels a “New Deal Compact” for the country’s future that will help Somalia continue on the path to re-building a fragile state and healing a divided nation”.

The EU and the Federal Government of Somalia will co-host a High Level Conference on “A New Deal for Somalia” in Brussels on 16 September 2013 to sustain the positive momentum in Somalia, and pledge support for a framework to reconstruct the country. The Conference will bring together the international community and the Somali people to endorse this framework – a “Compact” for Somalia for the next three years.

The EU also calls on other donors to contribute to funding for AMISOM. This new funding will cover the period of 1 June to 31 December 2013 and bring the overall EU contribution to AMISOM to almost €600 million.

Background

AMISOM is an African Union-led mission mandated by the United Nations Security Council to:

  • maintain a presence and conduct military operations in four areas of South-Central Somalia (according to the concept of 5 January 2012);
  • to support dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia;
  • to provide protection to the Federal Government of Somalia and security for key infrastructure;
  • to assist with the implementation of the Somali national security plans, through training and mentoring of the Somali Security Forces;
  • to contribute to the necessary security conditions for the provision of humanitarian assistance,
  • to assist within its civilian capability the Federal Government;
  • to extend state authority in areas recovered from Al-Shabaab, and to protect its personnel and facilities.

Since its launch in March 2007, the EU has been one of the main funders of the operation and sole founder of troop allowances through the African Peace Facility (APF), which is the EU’s main instrument to support Peace and Security in Africa. It has also funded the mission through bilateral contributions of its Member States. The EU trains Somalia’s national army through its Training Mission (EUTM Somalia) under its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Through this mission, the EU aims to help develop Somalia’s security institutions to ultimately hand over security responsibility to Somalis.

The mission is also contributing to the Africa-EU partnership on peace and security of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES). The strategy, adopted at the Lisbon Summit in December 2007, remains the overarching policy framework for EU-Africa relations. The JAES puts EU-Africa relations on a new footing, based on the pursuit of shared values and common interests. Both sides are determined to strengthen their cooperation as equal partners, based on this shared long-term vision for EU-Africa relations in a globalised world.

For more information

EU relations with Somalia:

http://eeas.europa.eu/somalia/index_en.htm

“A New Deal for Somalia” Conference:

http://www.somalia-newdeal-conference.eu/

Website of the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/piebalgs/index_en.htm

Website of EuropeAid Development and Cooperation DG:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm

Website of the Africa-EU partnership:

http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org/

 

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