Somalia and Ethiopia urge joint position by IGAD in London Conference

Regional bloc IGAD must speak with one voice to champion a Somali led and Somali owned process in the upcoming London Conference, the leaders of Ethiopia and Somalia have said.

In a statement following the conclusion of a one day visit in Ethiopia, President Mohamed Farmaajo and his host Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the London Conference must mainstream ‘Somalia’s peace and development objectives’.

The two leaders added the conference must also consider a New Partnership Agreement between Somalia and the international community.

Somalia will be pitching support on three thematic areas notably security, economic recovery and political process which includes the completion of the constitutional review process and build up towards the 2020 elections which are expected to be held on a one-person-one vote basis.

The two leaders also called for international support to deal with piracy which they noted its return was a worrying development.

“Both leaders expressed their concern on the return of piracy in the Indian Ocean and urged the international community to redouble efforts to support the Somalia National Coast Guard and to increase the capability of the Somalia Police Forces to enforce the rule of law in order to control the criminal activities both on shore and off shore,” the communique read in part.

A report released by the a piracy watchdog Oceans Beyond Piracy last month said the threat of a return of piracy now real noting ‘the tumultuous socio-political environment in Somalia that initially allowed piracy to flourish remains largely unchanged, particularly in the original pirate safe havens’.

On the security front, Somalia and Ethiopia affirmed the urgent need to build the Somalia National Army to enable it deal with the militant group Al-Shabaab as Amisom starts a draw-down next year. Prime Minister Desalegn hailed Somalia’s adoption of a national security architecture.

President Farmaajo had to cut short his three days visit following the killing of Public Works and Reconstruction Minister Abbas Siraj Wednesday evening at the entrance of Villa Somalia.