New York (Union)
Yesterday, the UAE welcomed the Security Council’s decision to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, emphasizing its continued support for the Somali people, and the UNSOM mission, which supports efforts to bring peace and security in Somalia.
The United Arab Emirates affirmed, in a statement before the Security Council issued by Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the country to the United Nations, that “in the context of the terrorist attack that took place in Mogadishu on 29 October, which caused the death of dozens of innocent people, I would like to express our sincere condolences and condolences to Somalia, the government, the people and the families of the victims, with our best wishes for a speedy recovery to all the wounded ”.
He added: “In this context, I underline the UAE’s rejection of terrorism, in all its forms and wherever it is.”
He stressed that such actions once again highlight the important role of the UNSOM mission in Somalia, especially in terms of supporting efforts to build the state and improve its security and government institutions, with the aim of enabling it to address the complex challenges it faces, the first of which is the fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabab.
And he continued: “The Security Council, through the extension decision, has sent an important message that we still support the Somali people and that we count on the continued provision of the UN mission in providing its vital support to Somalia and its efforts. to achieve the desired peace and stability ».
It took note of the UAE’s proposal during the consultation process on UNSOME’s mandate to delete the term “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” and its acronym “ISIL” to replace them with the term “ISIS”, in order to ensure that the Security Council does not give credibility to what ISIS and other terrorist groups are doing, from exploiting Islam to justify their violence and hatred, to calling these groups Islamic labels on themselves.
He stressed once again that there is no link between ISIS and Islam, recalling that this Council has stressed in many of its resolutions that terrorism should not be linked to any religion and this UAE proposal is in line with the position of the United Arab Emirates. ‘General Assembly, which has deviated from the use of the terms “ISIL” “The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” is included in the United Nations Global Strategy Against Terrorism, and therefore we in the Security Council must do what it is right in this respect.
He expressed his sincere appreciation to James Swan, the Secretary General’s Special Representative in Somalia for his tireless efforts, commending the efforts of the UNSOM mission and renewing the UAE’s commitment to supporting peace and stability in Somalia.
In conclusion, I congratulated the Government of Gabon on its illustrious presidency of the Security Council and we wish the next president all success.
Last night the Security Council adopted the decision to extend the mandate and tasks of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia for a period of one year until 31 October 2023 and adopted Resolution 2657 with 14 votes against and none against, while China abstained from voting, according to the new China News Agency, “Xinhua” ».
In his explanatory remarks after the vote, Dai Bing, chief affairs officer at the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said that China supports the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, but noted that in the draft resolution, issues such as the protection of civilians, humanitarian access and the protection of children.
Somalia is facing one of the worst droughts it has seen in decades, according to the United Nations. In this regard, avoiding a looming famine has been a key priority for the Somali federal government and its humanitarian partners.
