Somalia to be Elected Unopposed to UN Security Council in Major Leap by President Mohamud’s Administration

GOOBJOOG NEWS|NEW YORK: Somalia will today be elected unopposed as a member of the prestigious group of 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council in yet another major leap by the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The UN General Assembly will be casting the crucial vote today to elect five new members to the Council, which Somalia joins. The other four members are Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, and Panama. Somalia is running uncontested for the open African seat, which is reserved for the East Africa sub-region.

The Horn of Africa nation last held the UN Security Council non-permanent member post in 1972. Somalia is running on the agenda of upholding international law and amplifying diverse voices within the Council.

The new members will take up their positions at the Security Council from January 2025 for a period of one year.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Fiqi is leading the Somali delegation in New York, where the crucial vote will happen today.

The election of Somalia to the position adds to other major achievements by the current administration at the international level. This includes the lifting of the arms embargo by the UN Security Council last December, ending three decades of restrictions against the Somali Security Forces from acquiring high calibre weapons to defend the country and fight terrorism.

The World Bank and IMF also announced in December the forgiveness of $5.2 billion in debt which Somalia owed several countries and bilateral and multilateral financial institutions. This paved the way for Somalia’s return to the international financial markets. Somalia also became a full member of the East Africa Community in March, following its admission last November.

Somalia’s election to the UN Security Council will enable it to play a crucial role in shaping the global agenda, particularly on peace and security. This comes against the backdrop of Somalia’s request to end the mandate of the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in August, when the one-year renewal period lapses.

Somalia will also get the chance to voice its position regarding the deployment of an international force once the mandate of the African Union Transition Mission to Somalia (ATMIS) comes to a close in December. ATMIS is expected to pull out the remaining 9,000 troops from Somalia by December this year.