Despite the progress made, the situation in Somalia remains fragile [fr]

Madam President,
I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson for Somalia for their briefings, and I wish to welcome the presence of the Representative of Somalia.

First of all, I welcome the progress made in Somalia over the last year. The conference organized on December 12 in the presence of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud highlighted this progress, on the political front, thanks to the organization of the National Consultative Council; on the economic front, with the reaching of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries completion point; and on the diplomatic front, with the integration of Somalia into the East African Community.

France welcomes such progress, and will continue to stand by the Somali authorities to deepen these efforts, including on the political front. It is crucial that the participation of women, young people and marginalized communities be fully taken into account.

Despite the progress made, the situation in Somalia remains fragile. Al-Shabab continues to carry out frequent attacks, including against civilian populations and international partners. France expresses its sincerest condolences to all victims, including United Nations personnel, following the various incidents which have affected the country in recent weeks.

France is particularly concerned about the impact of this violence on the humanitarian situation, which is already exacerbated by extreme climate conditions. France will ensure that this situation is fully taken into account, as we did in 2023 with humanitarian aid amounting to over 10 million euros. France also recalls the need for comprehensive, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to populations in need. The European Union will also continue its historic support alongside the Somalis, with almost 543 million euros in humanitarian aid committed to Somalia since 2017.

Madam President,

To address these challenges, it is crucial for all Somalia’s partners to define now what support can be provided following the departure of ATMIS on December 31. In this regard, France welcomes the strategy presented by Somalia last December, a very clear strategy which requires the mobilization of all international partners. Only a coordinated response by Somalia’s partners will allow for effective support of Mogadishu’s efforts to counter the threat of Al-Shabab. France stands ready to define the best way to support this strategy, alongside the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and, we hope, new partners. The European Union, which has committed more than 4.3 billion euros to Somalia since 2009, and which is deploying two European training missions on the ground, will continue to mobilize all the tools at its disposal to consolidate the achievements, with an emphasis on strengthening Somali capacities. However, such efforts cannot be successful without the support of regional partners, with whom we call for a continued and peaceful dialogue.

Thank you.