YouSaid · the spoken record

Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud

lines on the record: 33
first: 2021-02-22
most recent: 2021-10-15
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The Somali nation seeks stability for the Horn of Africa region and is willing to address whatever concerns may threaten stability as long as they are within the confines of international law and are morally just. Finally, I would like to congratulate the Somali people of the occasion of sixty - seventh anniversary of our national flag day.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“The Federal Government of Somalia has always sought to secure the rights of the Somali nation through recourse to peaceful methods of dispute settlement and views the decision of the International Court of Justice as a vindication of the important role of the United Nations in upholding international law and mitigating threats to peace. Therefore, the long-term security, peace and prosperity of our region depend on fostering greater ties and cooperation in all sectors from security and social issues to trade. Somalia stands ready to move forward in enhancing our neighbourly relations beyond this ruling. Finally, the simple truth remains: the bonds with our neighbours far outweigh issues that may divide us and are in keeping with the noble goal of the Council in seeking to address threats to international security.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“More emphasis must be placed on the importance of multilateral and interregional organizations to promote common interests. There must also be an acceptance that for States like Somalia, with the longest coastline in Africa, sovereignty and the protection of its natural resources, as well as promotion of sustainable development, can be addressed to the extent that Somalia asserts its rights over its maritime territory and can ensure that others respect those rights. Just in the morning of 12 October, the International Court of Justice issued its binding verdict on the maritime dispute between Somalia and Kenya. The Federal Government of Somalia has always expressed its willingness to abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice and to accept its finality on this unfortunate dispute with our neighbour.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“This must be the common responsibility of all member states to strengthen the international order based on the respect for international law. To contradict or refuse to abide by international law is to threaten peace and stability itself. Put simply, history has shown that failure to follow existing international law, precedents and rulings in good faith results in threats of insecurity, conflict and tensions around the world. The Horn of Africa region faces several realities that characterize its regional environment, which must be addressed collectively in order to achieve our collective goal of long-term peace. The first reality is the relationship between the States members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development that will be a determining influence in the security situation and economic advancement of the region.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“Sustainable peace requires national ownership that supports multilateralist action at the regional and international level in a manner adherent to international law. A dependable rules-based order at the State, regional and global levels, accepted by all, remains a prerequisite for security and stability and by extension for achieving sustainable peace. It is vital that all Member States abide by international law and adhere to Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations: namely, the core principles of sovereign equality of States and non-interference, the prohibition on the threat or use of force and the obligation to settle international disputes peacefully in preserving international peace and security. This is the foundation upon which a peaceful, equitable and prosperous international community is built.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“State-building, therefore, is not merely developing the mechanism of State institutions but fundamentally promoting a deepening of democratization and balancing the equation of rights and duties between citizens and government. Effective representation, transparency and accountability of government institutions requires improving the knowledge that citizens have of governance. This encapsulates the concept of deepening democracy; this is the right path simply because democracy works. This is all the more imperative given the complex peace and security environment faced by our region. This includes long-standing inequalities; poverty and food insecurity; environmental degradation; urbanization and demographic pressures that have been further exacerbated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“Securing and sustaining peace for our region remains an important aspect of realising the aspirations of our people but we must all be clear, particularly in the context of our region: achieving peace requires not merely the silencing of the guns but a commitment to combating want and fear, a commitment to freedom of religion and expression and a commitment to human rights, in which our citizens have nothing to fear from their legitimate government. In this context achieving sustainable peace is not a one-dimensional State- building process, driven by the need to construct state institutions with the support of external assistance, but a multidimensional effort derived from the context and realities on the ground, led by the legitimate authority of the State to promote national ownership.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“A nation, I am delighted to state, which is once again emerging from the ashes of civil war and strife, confident of its future, boosted by the hopeful aspiration of its dynamic and vibrant people for peace and prosperity. No country is an island on its own and naturally Somalia’s future is very much intertwined with those of the nations of our region: our peace is their peace, our prosperity is their prosperity, their security is our security.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“Allow me to begin by congratulating the Republic of Kenya on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October and to commend the Permanent Representative of the brotherly country of the Republic of Ireland for their exemplary leadership at the helm of the Council in September. This debate on peace and sustainability is a fitting testament to the importance of this body that has worked consistently in pursuit of the noble effort of sustaining peace across our fragile and delicate globe. It is an honour to address the Security Council and contribute to an import debate, made all the more poignant as a Somali, representing the Somali nation. A nation this body has supported during its darkest moments, as it searched for peace.”
2021-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/868 (2021) · source
“However, since 2012, and in particular the past four years, Somali leaders have dealt with complex political issues without the supervision of the international community. That, in turn, has made the Somali people have confidence in their governance and their leaders. And despite recent events, the President’s invitation to the remaining two federal member state leaders stands. Because rebuilding an inclusive, progressive and prosperous Somalia is fundamental for all Somalis, it is the commitment of this Government to honour that noble objective by delivering free and fair elections, while continuing to safeguard the physical health and financial future of the Somali People.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“Somalia continues to call for global solidarity and equitable access to vaccines at this extremely difficult and vulnerable time for all populations. In conclusion, Somalia has truly come a very long way on a journey in which many thought it would not make it past the first few hurdles. Somalia’s economic success is the fruit of the collective efforts of the Somali Government, its people and our valuable international partners. The Somali people are resilient and committed to building a better future for themselves of which they can be proud. As for politics, Somalia’s political process has developed from the period in which it was initiated and developed by international partners.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“That, coupled with the lessons we have learned and the systems and processes we have built through the economic reform journey, should lead Somalia on the road to sustainable development, opportunity and prosperity. Alongside the political, security and economic progress presented so far, Somalia has also been making steady progress in the State-building process, particularly through the constitutional review process and the prevention and resolution of conflicts. Somalia has also been effectively responding to the triple threat of locusts, flooding and the global coronavirus disease pandemic, which continues to have a severe impact on the health and economic stability of Somalia and its people.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“That was a huge achievement, which is now followed by a follow-on programme — the Extended Credit Facility — which continues to build on the foundations of strengthening public finance management, raising domestic revenue towards fiscal sustainability and managing expenditures to a sustainable level, good governance and financial sector reforms. Moreover, we have put in place laws and regulations to institutionalize good governance and sustainable economic management to cement the economic reforms. We are determined to remain on the right reform trajectory to reach the completion point and hopefully attain complete debt forgiveness.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“To put it simply, the upcoming AMISOM concept of operations must effectively reflect the aim of the Somali transition plan. With regard to economic development, the Somali Federal Government has prioritized economic reforms to ease the unsustainable national debt burden on the Somali people. Through great national effort and in partnership with bilateral and multilateral partners, Somalia completed successive economic reform programmes, guided by the International Monetary Fund, to reach the decision point under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in early 2020.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“We have completed and revised Somalia’s transition plan, which was welcomed by the Security Council and lays out a clear path for Somalia to transition security away from AMISOM to Somali security forces. Itis important that AMISOM be fit for purpose and able to meet the present challenges, by which we mean, first, the realization of a reconfigured AMISOM force that is more mobile and agile enough to support the offensive capabilities of Somali security forces; secondly, a move away from a single sector presence of forces from troop-contributing countries (TCCs) to a mix TCC force presence in all sectors to improve command and control; and, finally, greater coordination and joint operations between AMISOM and Somali security forces to enable Somali leadership.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“Thanks to the courage and sacrifices of the Somali National Army and the troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Al-Shabaab has been reduced to carrying out opportunistic attacks on soft targets. Many plots to kill innocent people have been foiled and many Al-Shabab operatives have been killed, captured or arrested. Despite the courage of AMISOM soldiers in Somalia, it is imperative that we continue to work with our international partners to nurture and develop a well- trained, equipped and funded Somali National Army and Police Force to protect our citizens and contribute to the strengthening of regional stability. We are thankful to all partners that are actively assisting us in working towards and realizing that fundamental goal. Indeed, year 2021 will be a pivotal one for Somalia.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“Upon the agreement of those two federal member state leaders, the Federal Government of Somalia will be willing and able to begin the holding of the elections within the month. The President of Somalia once again invites the leaders of Puntland and Jubaland to join the consultative meeting in Mogadishu to finalize the recommendations of the technical committee. The completion of the electoral process based on dialogue and compromise is vital for the peace and prosperity of the Somali people. On security developments, defeating Al-Shabaab remains Somalia’s key security priority. We have been engaged in a successful fight against a determined international terrorist organization with regional and global ambition.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“Rest assured, the prospective presidential candidates have been, and will continue to be, provided the freedom and political space to express their views, and Government bodies as well as security forces will fulfil their statutory duty to protect the public against the dark forces of extremism and the silent enemy of the pandemic as they express their views openly. However, the security and well-being of the Somali people will remain paramount, and no armed insurrection under the guise of a political demonstration will be accepted. There is no doubt that elections will happen once the final two federal member state leaders endorse the finalization of the 17 September agreement negotiated by their respective technical representatives.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“Unfortunately, the Somali Federal Government strongly believes that there is blatant foreign interference in the internal political affairs of Somalia, from those who claim to be helping to stabilize Somalia to those who offer a princely reward in order to intentionally sabotage and prolong the electoral process in the hope of leadership change. That axis of foreign influence clearly has a strategy of prolonging the holding of elections by forcing the remaining two federal member state leaders to refuse the agreement in order to provide space for prospective presidential candidates, in an attempt to create a narrative of discord. Just today, the prospective presidential candidates announced the holding of a demonstration next Friday, clearly timed to coincide with this meeting in the hope of instilling a fear of Armageddon.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“The fact is that the only way to have a political transition is through elections, not threats or outlandish claims of political and social regression to a painful era to which the Somali people will never agree to return. The simple truth is that no number of undemocratic calls for the removal of a sitting president without elections, the foreign axis of instability supporting the opposition or the threat of violence will determine the destiny of the Somali nation. Somalia’s destiny will be determined by the Somali people, who have the confidence, experience and resolve to ensure that what lies ahead for Somalia will never be the pain of the past.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“The Somali people are tired of war and yearning for stability, security and a Government that truly represents their aspirations. Key to achieving that is the holding of free and fair elections, as agreed by all the parties on 17 September and finalized by the Baydhabo technical committee no more than a week ago. Denying the truth does not change the facts, and I am afraid that what we have here is an opposition whose only interest, at the behest of external forces, is to create a red herring based on the fact that their sole political goal has always been to cause a political crisis in order to foment constitutional disorder.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“That is no surprise, because on the night of 8 February the opposition group leaders declared that there was no Government in Somalia, which is not true given that Parliament passed the election law based on the political agreement, which, under article 3, clearly states that the legislative and executive branches of Government have full authority; furthermore, the executive is responsible for managing the election precisely in order to avoid a vacancy of power. Those acts have led to the loss of the lives of members of our security personnel, who have taken an oath to protect the Somali nation from enemies, both foreign and domestic. I extend my condolences and the gratitude of the nation to their families and loved ones and wish those injured a speedy recovery.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“The Government fully recognizes the right to peacefully demonstrate as a right guaranteed by the Constitution. We are committed to providing the Somali people with the opportunity to express themselves and their demands without undermining public order or destroying public or private property. However, the prospective presidential candidates not only disregarded the Government’s measures but chose a clear path of illegality and insurrection. They chose to bring forth a militia out on to the streets of Mogadishu; in fact, the head of that militia openly stated in public “there is no Government, and we are taking control”.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“Regrettably, the two federal member state leaders, who were the penholders for the 17 September political agreement and have remained a constant obstacle to its finalization, once again refused to attend the meeting, once again choosing to hold to ransom the aspirations of the Somali people for stability in an effort to achieve a transition in an undemocratic manner. In fact, rather than travel to Mogadishu to attend the planned National Consultative Council’s meeting, the two federal member state leaders chose to offer tacit support for a planned protest by prospective presidential candidates, which the Federal Government accepted provided that it adheres to public health regulations and is held in a peaceful manner, as our Constitution stipulates.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“After two days of discussions, the Baidao technical committee announced an agreement that was welcomed by all, including the international community, and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo” extended an invitation to the federal member state leaders to meet at the National Consultative Council on 18 February in Mogadishu to conclude the Federal Government of Somalia/federal member state technical committee’s work and fully implement the 17 September agreement, so that the process of elections could begin without further delay.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“The penholders of that agreement were the federal member state leaders, in particular the Presidents of Jubaland and Puntland, and led to the agreement being welcomed, celebrated and endorsed by all prospective presidential candidates, the federal member state leaders, the international community and all relevant political actors. Regrettably, after all that, the penholders of the agreement have continued to refuse to implement the political agreement, requesting further concessions one after another to address perceived concerns with regard to the Gedo region and the election committees. That was also accepted by the Federal Government, and a technical committee representing all stakeholders, including ministerial representatives from both Jubaland and Puntland, finalized the outstanding issues in Baydhabo on 16 February.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“It is to be noted that the Federal Government, in agreeing to that selected model, has not only compromised on one-person, one-vote elections but also agreed to the following, as demanded by the federal member states. For each seat, the Federal Government of Somalia wanted 301 individuals to vote for each respective parliamentary seat, but the federal member states wanted 101; the Government agreed. The Federal Government proposed that elections should be held in up to four or a minimum of three locations in each federal member state in order to seek greater legitimization of the new Parliament; the federal member state leaders wanted two locations, and the Federal Government once again accepted their wish.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“The selective process has rightfully earned the label of an incubator for levels of corruption, irregularities and patronage favoured by elites, whose sole interest is to hold the future of Somalia to ransom and maintain patronage for the few. Despite the moral and political imperative to implement the agreed election model, Somalia’s international partners pressured the Government to compromise with the federal member states once again, as a result of a series of consultations with the leadership of the federal member states held in Dhuusamarreeb, known as the Dhuusamarreeeb conference 1, 2 and 3. A final meeting of the National Consultative Council in Mogadishu reached a political agreement on the new modalities of election on 17 September 2020.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“After that agreement, a draft law was formulated by the executive branch based on the agreement and was presented to the Federal Parliament for legislative scrutiny and voted on before the President signed it into law in February 2020. As stipulated by both the political agreement and the subsequent election law, the process was to be led by the National Independent Electoral Commission. However, within a short period the leaders of the federal member states reneged on the early agreement on one-person, one-vote elections and instead expressed a preference for a selection model similar to the one used in 2016, where the leadership of the Federal Government of Somalia and the federal member states in effect choose the members of both houses of the Federal Parliament, who would then become the electors of the President and speakers.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“It should be noted that soon after the commencement of this Administration, work to implement the holding of one-person, one-vote elections began simply in order to ensure the widest participation of citizens in the process of choosing their leaders for the first time in 50 years. A practical model for realizing that goal was designed and negotiated with the federal member states before they and the Federal Government of Somalia signed an agreement in 2018. I am very much aware of this because I led the negotiations on behalf of the Federal Government and as a member of the federal negotiation technical committee, working closely with the federal member states.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“It is important to note that the Somali people will be forever indebted for the support and multifaceted partnerships that continue to contribute to our national progress, especially as we navigate forward to a better future, a bright and confident future anchored in the undying belief that we are the masters of our own destiny. On the present political impasse on the implementation of the 17 September agreement, context is important. The Federal Government of Somalia has worked consistently in a determined manner to hold a federal election as stipulated by the provisional Constitution.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“It is a great honour to be addressing the Security Council on Somalia’s progress and remaining challenges. Security Council members, alongside the majority of other partner nations within the United Nations family, continue to play an important role in Somalia’s development alongside our resilient people and Government, both bilaterally and multilaterally. The Somali Government takes note of the report of the Secretary-General, António Guterres, on the situation in Somalia (S/2021/154), which was presented to the Security Council today. The report captures succinctly the political, security and socioeconomic challenges that the Somali nation must overcome in order to continue on our path to deepening democracy, development, stability and security for Somalia.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source
“Allow me to begin by congratulating you, Madam President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of February and to wish you and your delegation success. I also commend the Permanent Representative of the brotherly country of Tunisia for his exemplary leadership at the helm of the Council last month. I acknowledge the presence of Mr. James Swan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia; Mr. Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia; and Ms. Rita Laranjinha, European External Action Service Managing Director for Africa, and thank them for their briefings.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/173 (2021) · source