7 Nov 2012

UN / SOMALIA

The Security Council agreed today on a short term extension for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), while the Somali Ambassador said the extension should have been for “one year, minimum” and included a maritime component. UNTV

Posted at: November 7, 2012 6:48 pm

Duration: 01:59

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: UN / SOMALIA
TRT: 1.59
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 7 NOVEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

7 NOVEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Various shots, Security Council's vote
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Elmi Ahmed Duale, Permanent Representative of the Somali Republic to The United Nations:
"I hope the Security Council will not limit itself to the three months approval of the extension, but we were hoping that it would be for one year minimum with all the support required for AMISOM and also the Somali National Security forces so that they can, in due course, take over the responsibilities of security stabilization and stability within the country."
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. Wide shot, Ambassador Mashabane of South Africa walks up to the stakeout position

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

6. Close up, reporter's notepad

7 NOVEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Doctor Mashabane, Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations:
"The Security Council has just adopted the resolution 2073 on Somalia, but unfortunately what has happened is just a four month extension. We would have expected that it would have been a full year resolution, but because of disagreements on a number of key issues, I'll explain to you two or three of these issues. One of the issues in particular relates to the maritime component. The African Union had made the specific request that the AU and special support package be extended to cover the maritime component."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

8. Close up, reporter's notepad

7 NOVEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Doctor Mashabane, Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations:
"The majority of the members of the Security Council support the view that the Secretary-General should present to the Council alternatives, you know, funding mechanisms and recommendations, but there are some in the Council who strongly objected to that. So we'll have to wait for the next four months when the AU and the UN will do a review of AMISOM."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

10. Close up, reporter's notepad

7 NOVEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

11. Zoom out, Ambassador Mashabane walks away from the stakeout position

STORYLINE:

The Security Council today (7 November) unanimously extended the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for a limited period of four months.

Created and operated by the African Union Peace and Security Council in January 2007, AMISOM received a UN mandate from the world body's Security Council the following month, and has been renewed ever since.

With close to 10,000 peacekeepers, it is mandated to conduct peace support operations in Somalia, which has been affected by conflict for more than two decades.

Ambassador Elmi Ahmed Duale of Somalia told the Council that his Government had hoped the extension "would be for one year minimum with all the support required for AMISOM and also the Somali National Security forces so that they can, in due course, take over the responsibilities of security stabilization and stability within the country."

After decades of factional fighting and lawlessness, the East Africa country has been undergoing a peace and national reconciliation process, with a series of landmark steps in recent months that have helped to bring an end to the country's nine-year political transition period. These steps included the adoption of a Provisional Constitution, the establishment of a new Parliament and the appointments of a new President and a new Prime Minister.

Outside the Council, South African Ambassador Doctor Mashabane told reporters that the African Union had also expected a full year extension, "but because of disagreements on a number of key issues" the Council had settled on a shorter extension.

One of the contentious issues, he said was "the specific request that the AU and special support package be extended to cover the maritime component."

Other issues included the easing or lifting of the arms embargo and questions related to funding.

Mashabane said "the majority of the members of the Security Council" had support the AU proposal that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should present alternatives on funding mechanisms to the Council "but there are some in the Council who strongly objected to that."

The African Union had informed the Council that, working together with the UN, it intends to undertake a thorough assessment of AMISOM and how best it can contribute to the stabilization of Somalia in light of the gains made on the ground and the challenges ahead.

Until last year, most of the country's capital, Mogadishu, was, for several years, driven by a fluid frontline dividing the two sides – fighters belonging to the Al-Shabaab militant group and troops belonging to the Government of Somalia, with the latter supported by AMISOM.

Since the Al-Shabaab withdrawal from the capital in August last year, the frontlines have been pushed back to surrounding areas. In late September, Al-Shabaab insurgents withdrew from the port city of Kismayo, their last remaining stronghold located a sizable urban area, but still control parts of the country's south-central areas.