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Colleagues,

I thank the Delegation of the African Union for the initiative of today’s exchange, as well as Ambassador Souef (Special Representative of the AUC Chairperson in Somalia and head of ATMIS) for providing us with the latest state of play. I welcome the participation of Somalia’s National Security Advisor, Hussein Ma’alin. We are also pleased to count on the presence of UNSOM SRSG Catriona Laing.

Today’s meeting is timely, just ahead of ATMIS’ mandate renewal next week and a mere 18 months ahead of the mission’s end date. Time is fast running out and meetings such as these are helpful in ensuring we are all aligned in support of Somalia’s security transition.

At the outset, allow me to underline the central role of ATMIS’ Troop Contributing Countries in supporting the emergence of capable Somali security institutions. I pay tribute to the brave women and men who have served and continue to serve the Somali people, and share my condolences for those that have paid the ultimate price. Our thoughts go out in particular to the Ugandan peacekeepers attacked by al-Shabaab in Buulo Mareer last month.

I reconfirm our commitment to working together in the implementation of UNSC Resolutions 2628 and 2670 that provide the framework for our action. The EU is a steadfast partner of ATMIS, both as a member of the Quartet -with the AU, Somalia and the UN- but also as a financial contributor. Our bilateral engagement with the Federal Government of Somalia is accelerating fast: a recently launched Joint Operational Roadmap sets out the path for the next two years.

Transition lies at the heart of ATMIS’ mandate. We welcome the fact that operations against al-Shabaab are taking place in parallel with the transition from ATMIS to Somali-led security entities. We are encouraged by the commitments of Somalia’s neighbours to support the next phase of operations. And we would welcome clarifications on the role of Frontline States during the next 18 months and beyond.

We see a number of challenges with regards to ATMIS’ mandate. First, we need to see progress on the benchmarks that the Quartet has developed in follow up of UNSCR 2628. While the timelines are ambitious, they are feasible, and we are encouraged by progress in the drawdown of 2.000 troops by June 30. We expect the next phases to be respected as well. Second, we see room for strengthened coordination between the Federal Government of Somalia and the AU, in order to ensure a smooth and timely drawdown. And third, there is a need for clarity on the composition of the ATMIS troops being considered for the next phases of the drawdown, based on an assessment of where forces are most needed. As ATMIS draws down, Somali troops will have to take over. This does not only mean generating more troops, but also requires a clear overview of available troops, at the federal level and in the Federal Member States. In addition, there is a need for urgent capability building to generate capable troops with enabling functions such as counter-IED, medical care, combat-engineering and logistics.

You can count on the EU’s continued support. We are fully involved in the transition process, supporting both ATMIS and the training and equipping of the Somali National Army. We have recently allocated 25 million euro in support of the SNA and 85 million euro for the military component of ATMIS for 2023 as well as an additional 33 million euro for its civilian and police components for 2023 and 2024. This brings our total support to the mission so far to over 2.5 billion euro since its inception.

Burden sharing is crucial. Funding for ATMIS under the AU Peace Fund Crisis Response Facility is a welcome first step, and we welcome the contributions of other donors. More broadly, the EU is committed to the adequate, predictable and sustainable financing of African Union-led peace support operations. We support the use of UN-assessed contributions for such operations authorized by the UN Security Council, as well as the implementation of the AU human rights compliance framework in that context. I also reiterate the EU’s financial and political commitment to operationalizing AU policies in human rights due diligence.

UNSCR 2628 places the Somalis in the lead for the transition and in the fight against al-Shabaab. We welcome President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s commitment to fight al-Shabaab militarily, financially and ideologically. He presented a clear vision of Somalia’s plans yesterday at the Security Council. The Somali National Security Architecture provides us with a blueprint for developing the Somali security sector, including post-ATMIS.

We call on all partners of Somalia to come together to strengthen the capacity of security and governance actors which is the best guarantee to preserve the legacy of AMISOM and ATMIS. We encourage the Quartet meetings to resume in order to enable the transition process to be monitored and concluded in a coordinated and synchronized manner. We very much encourage the engagement by frontline states, TCCs, Security Council members and other partners. Coordination is key and in particular we envision a continued role for the AU and its Peace and Security Council in an oversight role.

In conclusion, we need to move fast and move together in constant coordination with our Somali partners.

I thank you.