The 26th Session of The Council of Ministers Meeting held its meeting in Jowhar in Somalia at the invitation of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

H.E Ali Mohamed Gedi the Prime Minister of the TFG of Somalia opened the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Hon. Augustine Nshimye, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation of the Republic of Uganda and attended by H.E. Mohamud Ali Yussuf Minister of Foreign Affairs of Djibouti, H.E Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Somalia, H.E. Tekeda Alemu the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Ismael Mohamed A.Dafi representing Sudan, Mr. Yohannes Berhe represented the State of Eritrea, Mr. Thuita Mwangi represented the Government of Kenya, Mr. Daniel Yifru represented IGAD, H.E. Francois Fall represented the United Nations, and  Ambassador Muhammad Ali Foum represented the African Union.

The Council:

Received an update on the current situation, and particularly on the state of the ongoing reconciliation process in Somalia from H.E. Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi;

Reviewed the political progress made by the TFG and expressed appreciation for the sustained efforts undertaken within the TFI’s, with the view of establishing links of dialogue to overcome differences of political approaches and consolidate established state institutions as a legitimate base for the new emerging Somalia;

Noted the visit of the Prime Minister of the TFG to Mogadishu and expressed appreciation for his endeavor to engage in dialogue for normalizing the political situation in Mogadishu and to raise public awareness, in relation to peace dividend opportunities;

Condemns the attempt made on the life of the Prime Minister and safety of his delegation during the visit to Mogadishu, which led to human loss and unwarranted suffering of innocent people, and this regard calls upon the UN Security council to consider taking appropriate measures against the perpetrators and possible instigators, including investigations and subsequent criminal indictments;

Determined to insure those who persist in undermining the peace and reconciliation process, should be held individually liable;

In this regard, the Council;

1. Restates its resolve to encourage all Somali party dialogue to accomplish the reconciliation process; however those who deliberately continue to obstruct the process risk decisive measures being taken against them,  including referring them to the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICCJ);

2. Encourages the TFG to maintain and show sprit of dialogue, making this process constant, throughout all its political conduct with a view of reaching out to all members of the TFI’s;

3. Urges all the Somali people to appreciate that security and stability is prerequisite to any form of development and reconstruction of their country, and calls upon them to support their President and his Government in the task of further reconciliation within the country and reconstruction of the country in general;

4. Recognizes the serious concern of the TFG and neighboring maritime states about the severe threat posed by the upsurge in cases of piracy and International Terrorism, along the Somalia coastline and marine waters and decides in this respect, to coordinate their strategies and action plans to face this common challenge in close collaboration with the international community;

5. Appeals to all countries and parties not to undertake any action that, directly or indirectly, would encourage in any form factionalism of groupings that may affect cohesion within the Transitional Federal Institutions or the smooth and effective functioning of those institutions;

6. Decides that those individuals, groups or factions that continue to defy and undermine the peace and reconciliation process should be identified and isolated, and this regard calls upon the international community, to apply whatever punitive measures that are necessary to enforce the will of the Somali people; 

7. Recognizes the urgency of undertaking immediate IGAD advocacy missions to sensitize the international community on issues of sustained political, material and financial support to Somalia, in line with the priorities documented in the Rapid Assistance Program (RAP);

8. Encourages all IGAD member states to establish diplomatic representations with the TFG, following the AU example which has opened a liaison office in Jowhar, with the view to developing regional cooperation in all sectors and promoting good neighborly relations among all IGAD Member States in all spheres;

9. Shares the sentiments of the TFG that unrelenting political support, material and financial aid are essential to enable the TFI’s to function properly and to provide the country with the necessary administrative capacity building to meet the basic needs of the population, fulfill the minimum expectations of the general public and the society in general;

10. Takes note of the recent successful visit of the Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi to Europe and hails the assistance promised for the stabilization of Somalia through proper National Security Plan and formation of law enforcement agencies and related institutional structures under joint coordination of EU/AU and TFG as well as pledge made for the reconstruction of Somalia;

11. Notes that the IGASOM troops have not been deployed in accordance with the directives of the Abuja IGAD Summit of 31^st January 2005, and the approval granted on 12^th May 2005 by the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC); in this regard, urges both Sudan and Uganda to continue to be in state of readiness for deployment when conditions permit and urges AU to expedite the support to deploy the IGASOM;

12. Recommends that, in the in the meantime, IGAD deploy a Military Observer Mission of an appropriate size as an advance mission of IGASOM to undertake observation of the cessation of hostilities agreement and the envisaged DDR  and the monitoring of the grassroots reconciliation mechanism, and calls upon the AU to provide the necessary finance for this purpose;

13. Underlines the necessity to appoint a joint TFG/IGAD/AU panel of high level legal   and diplomatic experts to conduct in-depth review and analysis both from legal and political point of view, in such a way that it would be compatible with the purposes of achieving lasting peace and stability in Somalia and empowering IGAD and thereafter the AU, to deploy a peace stabilization mission, in conformity with AU and IGAD resolutions, in tandem with the TFG efforts;

14. Underlines further the necessity in recognizing that Somalia has a legitimate government and in line with the Transitional Federal Charter, has the solemn right to establish, train and equip its law enforcement authorities, while seeking, regional and international cooperation towards achieving that goal of lifting the  UN arms Embargo;

15. Calls upon the United Nations Security Council to take appropriate and enabling action to pave the way for the earliest deployment IGASOM;

16. Urges the international community to extend robust support to the TFG and show more readiness to meet the urgent needs of the TFI’s and the country in all sectors, as expeditiously as possible;

17. Calls upon the TFG and the international donor community to work towards the establishment of an effective high level mechanism to mobilize supportive aid resources to the TFG programs, and to convene an international pledging conference for the reconstruction of Somalia as early as possible;

18. Decides that IGAD shall fully remain seized with the process of stabilization and deepening of the peace, through the support of the state institution, and to this end calls on the international community to provide the necessary financial and material support;

19. Recommends to convene a Summit of Heads of State and Government of IGAD early next year so as to further strengthen the achievements and goals of the TFG and