CM/Dec. 526 (LXXII) Rev.1
DECISION ON SOMALIA (CM/2164 (LXXII)-f)
Council:
TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Secretary-General on Somalia;
REAFFIRMS the consistent position of the OAU regarding the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia, as one indivisible State;
ACKNOWELDGES the seriousness of the situation in Somalia as a result of the long absence of national authority given the destructive civil strife and the ensuing insecurity;
ACKNOWLEDGES ALSO the commendable efforts exerted by the international community, in particular by IGAD Member States, especially by Ethiopia, a country mandated both by IGAD and OAU, the League of Arab States, toward the restoration of peace, stability and state structures in Somalia;
STRONGLY WELCOMES the initiative launched by President Ismael Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Current Chairman of IGAD, at the UN General Assembly on 22 September, 1999, which initiative was endorsed by the leaders of IGAD at their Summit held in Djibouti on 26 November, 1999;
RECALLS the full support earlier extended to the initiative as well as the Peace Plan by the Council of Ministers of IGAD, OAU, League of Arab States, and lastly, on 29 June, 2000, by the UN Security Council;
EXPRESSES ITS FULL SUPPORT to the Djibouti-led IGAD peace process on Somalia, in general, and to the Somalia National Peace Conference now underway in Djibouti since May 2, 2000, in particular, which has already achieved tremendous progress; and which brought together over 2000 Somali participants from inside and outside the country, and consisting of all walks of life and sections of the society, including elders, traditional and religious leaders, politicians, warlords, peace activists, professionals, business people, scholars, women, minorities and youths;
NOTES that the people of Djibouti, despite the prevailing economic hardship in the country, have made tremendous sacrifices toward contributing generously to a fund intended to finance this costly process, which has so far been almost entirely borne by Djibouti;
APPEALS to Member States and the international community as a whole, to extend political, material, financial and moral support to ensure the success of the Conference;
URGES all remaining warlords and other leaders not in Djibouti to join their Brothers and Sisters and to participate in the Conference, which is aimed at seeking the future political direction of Somalia. In this regard, the Council CALLS UPON the International Community to exert maximum pressures on warlords and all those leaders who are obstructing the Peace Process, to desist forthwith from engaging in acts or actions designed to destabilize, obstruct, undermine, thwart or scuttle the conference, through threats, harassments and detention of people wishing to express their democratic rights to participate in the conference;
EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN over the alarming deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Somalia and APPEALS to all Member States and the international community at large, to continue providing humanitarian assistance to those in need in Somalia;
REITERATES ITS CALL to all Member States to observe the UN arms embargo on Somalia so as to avoid further intensification of the conflict as well as to prevent Somalia from being used as a launching pad for acts of terrorism against neighbouring States;
EXTEND full political and material backing to the outcome of the Somalia National Peace Conference now in its final leg;
CALLS UPON the International Community to exert maximum pressure on those who continue to engage in hostile activities towards undermining and obstructing the process and who are depriving the Somali people of their inalienable rights to participate in the Conference that seeks to decide on their political future;
STRONGLY APPEALS to the international community as a whole (IGAD, OAU, UN, League of Arab States, EU, OIC, NAM, etc) to provide all necessary assistance to the potential national transitional administration in Somalia, particularly reconstruction and development assistance, and rebuilding of institutions.