Somalia
Historical Chronology

The Secretary-General issued his report on specialised anti-piracy tribunals. 

In a press statement following the meeting, Council members noted the AU's 5 January communiqué and underlined their intention to keep the situation under review.  They also urged the TFIs to remain united and focus on implementation of the road map while reiterating that further support would be contingent on its completion and expressing their readiness to take action against spoilers.

Somalia sent a letter to the Council requesting adoption of a resolution prohibiting UN member states from purchasing charcoal from Somalia.

The Secretary-General briefed the Council on his visit to Mogadishu (S/PV.6681 ).

In a press statement  (SC/10481), Council members welcomed the Secretary-General's visit and supported his call for faster implementation of the road map to end the transional period in Somalia.

The Somali parliament adopted a no-confidence motion against speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden.  

9 December 2011

The Secretary-General visited Mogadishu together with the President of the UN General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar. It was the first ever such joint visit to Somalia and the first visit by a Secretary-General since 1993.

The Secretary-General issued his regular Somalia report (S/2011/759).

The Council adopted resolution 2015 calling for additional measures to strengthen prosecution of Somali pirates.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, briefed Council members on recent developments in Somalia as part of his monthly horizon- scanning briefing.

AMISOM declared that the Islamist rebel group Al Shabaab had been driven out of its last stronghold in Mogadishu.

The Council issued a press statement condemning in the strongest terms the 4 October attack in Mogadishu.

The Council adopted resolution 2010 renewing the authorisation of AMISOM until 31 October 2012.

The Council adopted resolution 2002 , renewing the mandate of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea for 12 months. It expanded the criteria for targeted sanctions to include recruitment or use of children in armed conflict, as well as violations involving the targeting of civilians.

The Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee announced the addition of two individuals to the sanctions list under the Somalia sanctions regime (SC/10350).

25 July 2011

Council members were briefed in informal consultations by Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General in the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the humanitarian situation in Somalia and subsequently issued a press statement (SC/10339 ) that called on all UN member states to contribute to the humanitarian effort, “urged all parties to ensure full, safe and unhindered access for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid” and “urged all parties and armed groups to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and supplies.”

28 June 2011

The Somali parliament approved the appointment of Abdiweli Mohamed Ali to succeed Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed as prime minister,

24 June 2011

The Council adopted a presidential statement welcoming the signing of the Kampala Accord (S/PRST/2011/13 ). 

21 June 2011

Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Patricia O’Brien briefed the Council (S/PV.6560 ) on the Secretary-General’s 14 June report on modalities for the establishment of Somali anti-piracy courts.

17 June 2011

The Human Rights Council  renewed the mandate of the UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia for a period of one year, from September 2011. 

9 June 2011

Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and speaker of parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden signed the Kampala Accord, effectively extending the transitional period for one year until August 2012. 

25 May 2011

Council members met with TFI representatives, including the president, the prime minister and the speaker of parliament during a two-day visit to Nairobi as part of the Council mission to Africa. 

23 May 2011

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy briefed the Sanctions Committee on Somalia and Eritrea and proposed that violations against children should be added to the listing criteria under the Somalia sanctions regime. 

11 May 2011

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia briefed the Council in an open meeting (S/PV.6532). The Somali Prime Minister also spoke.The Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2011/10 ) regretting the TFG’s failure to attend the consultative meeting in Nairobi on 12 and 13 April and calling on it to participate constructively in the consultative process. 

14 April 2011

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported that there had been a steep rise in piracy off the coast of Somalia in the first three months of this year.

12 - 13 April 2011

SRSG Mahiga convened a high-level consultative meeting in Nairobi with key stakeholder to discuss post-transitional arrangements. TFG refused to attend. 

11 April 2011

The Council adopted resolution 1976 on piracy. It called for strengthening efforts on the ground on rule of law, governance and economic development, as well as continued focus on enhancing the legal framework for prosecution of pirates.  It also requested a report from the Secretary-General within two months on the modalities of establishing specialised courts to try suspected pirates and also asked the Secretary-General to report within six months on the protection of Somali natural resources and waters and on allegations of illegal fishing and illegal dumping of toxic substance off the coast of Somalia.

17 March 2011

The Council adopted resolution 1972 extending for 16 months the exemption to the assets-freeze provision of the Somalia sanctions regime under resolution 1916.  

15 March 2011

The Chair of the Sanctions Committee, Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, provided the regular 120-day briefing to Council members on the work of the Committee .

11 March 2011

OCHA briefed the Sanctions Committee as requested by resolution 1916.

10 March 2011

The Council held an open debate on Somalia and adopted a presidential statement stressing the need for a comprehensive strategy on Somalia.  

23 February 2011

AMISOM, IGAD and the UN Political Office for Somalia announced in a joint communiqué that they had adopted a joint regional strategy to support the TFG in the management of the transitional period.

9 February 2011

The Sanctions Committee on Eritrea and Somalia met for the first time under its new chair, Indian ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, and heard the mid-term briefing by the coordinator of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, Matt Bryden

3 February 2011

The Somali parliament voted to extend its mandate for another three years. The vote was widely criticised by the international community. 

31 January 2011

The AU called on the Council to provide greater support to AMISOM and “fully assume its responsibilities towards Somalia and its people,” including through increased funding from UN-assessed contributions. It also emphasised the need to broaden the reconciliation process and complete all remaining transitional tasks.

30 January 2011

IGAD said it was important “to extend the term of the current Transitional Federal Parliament while the remaining political dispensation be handled by the people of Somalia.” It also expressed disappointment that the Council in resolution 1964 had ignored the AU Peace and Security Council’s earlier requests to the UN Security Council relating to Somalia.

25 January 2011

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Legal Issues related to Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, Jack Lang, briefed the Council on his recommendations to the Secretary-General (S/PV.6473) as contained in his report transmitted to Council members on 24 January (S/2011/30).   Lang described the situation with regard to piracy as serious and even worsening and said it had to be addressed with “extreme urgency”. He called for a strengthening of existing measures as well as implementation of new initiatives, including the establishment of specialised domestic courts in Somaliland and Puntland, as well as an extraterritorial Somali specialised court to be established somewhere in the region, possibly in Arusha.

14 January 2011

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia briefed the Council (S/PV.6467) on new developments since the Secretary-General’s 30 December 2010 report on the situation in the country (S/2010/675). Mahiga focused on the remaining transitional tasks before the end of the transitional period in August, as well as the UN strategy, the difficult humanitarian situation and the need for a comprehensive anti-piracy approach.   He appealed for enhanced support—both financial and material—to AMISOM. Following informal consultations, Council members, in a press statement (SC/10154), called on the Somali government to “redouble its efforts” to complete the remaining transitional tasks, expressed their intention to monitor the situation closely and called on the international community to provide additional resources and support to AMISOM. They also condemned attacks against civilians and called on all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law.

22 December 2010

The Council adopted resolution 1964 extending the authorisation of the AMISOM until 30 September 2011 and increased the mission’s  troop strength from 8,000 to 12,000.

1 December 2010

The 2011 humanitarian appeal for Somalia, amounting to approximately $530 million, was launched in Nairobi.

30 November 2010

Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga (by videolink from Nairobi) and Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Susana Malcorra briefed Council members in informal consultations. Discussions focused on support for AMISOM. 

29 November 2010

The chair of the Eritrea/Somalia Sanctions Committee, Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, briefed Council members in informal consultations on the work of the Committee. In a press statement after the meeting, the Council reaffirmed that the humanitarian exemption established by resolution 1916 in regards to the assets freeze provision of the Somalia sanctions regime remained necessary. 

27 November 2010

The Somali parliament approved the cabinet proposed by prime minister Farmajo. 

The Council adopted resolution 1950, renewing for another 12 months the anti-piracy provisions of resolution 1897. 

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe briefed the Council on the Secretary-General’s latest report on piracy off the coast of Somalia in an open meeting. The meeting also featured a briefing by the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, on its counter-piracy programme to assist countries in the region. 

The AU summit held in Kampala endorsed IGAD’s 5 July decisions and mandated the AU Commission to start planning for the deployment of additional AMISOM troops. It also requested the Commission to appoint a “High Level Personality to galvanise international support and attention for Somalia and the engagement of the population in governance processes in order to enhance the legitimacy of the TFG.”  

The Council was briefed by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, on Eritrea's compliance with resolution 1907 (S/PV.6362). In informal consultations after the briefing Mexican ambassador Claude Heller, in his capacity as chair of the Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee, briefed Council members on the work of the Committee. (Resolution 1844 of 20 November 2008 calls for the Committee to report to the Council every 120 days.) The Council issued  a press statement which confirmed that the humanitarian assets-freeze exemption in paragraph 5 of resolution 1916 remained necessary to address the situation in Somalia.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) decided to deploy an additional 2,000 troops to AMISOM to reach the authorised strength of 8,000 and called on the AU Commission “to mobilise the necessary resources, logistics and equipment for the deployment.” IGAD also decided “to work with all parties, including AMISOM and the UN Security Council to raise 20,000 troops to be deployed throughout the country.” 

The Council adopted resolution 1918 calling on all states to criminalise piracy under their domestic law and requesting a report from the Secretary-General within three months on options to ensure prosecution and imprisonment of persons responsible for piracy off the coast of Somalia.

The International Contact Group on Somalia held a meeting in Cairo hosted by the Arab League and issued a communiqué.

The Chair of the Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee , Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller accompanied by Council experts from Turkey, Uganda and the US, left on a mission to the Horn of Africa region to raise awareness about the sanctions regime and discuss some of the recommendations of the Monitoring Group's report. It included stops in Eritrea, Kenya, Yemen.

12 April 2010

The Sanctions Committee for Somalia and Eritrea announced its first designations for targeted sanctions under resolution 1844.  

The  TFG signed a memorandum of understanding with Puntland on counter-piracy cooperation.

Hizbul Islam reportedly claimed loyalty to Al-Qaida for the first time and invited Usama bin Laden to Somalia.

19 March 2010

The Council adopted resolution 1916 extending the mandate of the Somalia/Eritrea Monitoring Group for another 12 months with the addition of three new members. It also decided that the assets freeze provisions of resolution 1844 would not apply to funds “necessary to ensure the timely delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance in Somalia” and requested the UN humanitarian aid coordinator for Somalia to report to the Council every 120 days.

16 March 2010

Following informal consultations among Council members, the Chair of the Sanctions Committee, Mexican ambssador Claude Heller, said there was considerable support among Council members for the idea to establish an independent investigation of the allegations regarding diversion of WFP aid.

10 March 2010

The Somalia Monitoring Group presented its final report to the Somalia Sanctions Committee. 

29 January 2010

Al-Shabaab confirmed officially for the first time that it had joined Al Qaida’s “international jihad”.

An attack by a suicide bomber during a medical school graduation ceremony in Mogadishu killed at least 22 people, including three TFG ministers.

The International Maritime Bureau concluded in its latest quarterly report on piracy that there had been a significant increase in the number of global piracy attacks in 2009 compared with 2008, mostly due to piracy activity off the coast of Somalia.

Fighting broke out in Kismayo for the first time between the two rebel groups Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam.

23 September 2009

The International Contact Group on Somalia held a meeting in New York.

17 September 2009

Seventeen African peacekeepers, including the deputy force commander, were killed in suicide bombings against AMISOM.

14 September 2009

US Special Operations forces entered southern Somalia in a daytime helicopter raid and killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan,  believed to be one of the most senior Al-Qaida leaders in East Africa and one of many foreigners in Al-Shabaab’s insurgency against the TFG.

10 September 2009

The Contact Group on Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia held its fourth meeting on 10 September in New York under the chairmanship of Japan, with 45 countries participating.

25 June 2009

The General Assembly’s Fifth Committee approved funding for the continuation of the logistical support package for AMISOM for the period 1 July to 31 December in the amount of approximately $138.8 million.  

18 June 2009

A suicide bomber killed Somalia’s minister of national security, Omar Hashi Aden. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. At least 25 others also died.

9 - 10 June 2009

The International Contact Group on Somalia met in Rome under the chairmanship of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah.

26 May 2009

In resolution 1872  the Council renewed authorisation of AMISOM until 31 January 2010, approved continued funding of the logistical support package from assessed UN contributions  and requested the Secretary-General to implement the phased approach recommended in his 16 April report.

22 May 2009

The AU supported IGAD's 20 May decision and requested the Council to impose sanctions on all foreign actors providing support to armed opposition groups in Somalia.

20 May 2009

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in a communiqué, called on the Council to impose a no-fly zone and a blockade of seaports in Somalia to prevent further arms supplies. It also called on the Council to impose sanctions on the government of Eritrea.

15 May 2009

The Council expressed concern (S/PRST/2009/15) over reports of Eritrean arms supplies and called on the Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia to investigate.

23 April 2009

An international donors’ conference in Brussels raised $213 million to strengthen AMISOM and help rebuild Somali security institutions over a period of 12 months, exceeding the initial request.

18 April 2009

The Somali parliament unanimously voted to institute Islamic law, thus ratifying the 10 March cabinet decision.

16 April 2009

The Secretary-General advised against the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation in a report to the Council (S/2009/210) , recommending instead an incremental approach, maintaining the strategy of strengthening AMISOM until further improvement in the security situation.

12 March 2009

The Somali parliament held its first meeting in Mogadishu after relocating from Djibouti.

11 March 2009

The AU Peace and Security Council extended AMISOM's mandate for three months from 17 March.

10 March 2009

The Somali cabinet voted to introduce Islamic law. 

9 March 2009

The Secretary-General issued his regular report on Somalia, which concluded that “there remains uncertainty about whether peacekeeping is the right tool to back the political process in Somalia”.

The Somali parliament voted to extend its mandate until August 2011. The last Ethiopian soldiers reportedly left Somalia.  

The Security Council requested the Secretary-General provide a detailed and consolidated description of a feasible multinational force for Somalia (S/PRST/2008/33 )

18 August 2008

The Djibouti Agreement was formally signed.

Parties to the Djibouti Agreement held the first meetings of the two committees mandated by the Agreement: the High Level Committee (which deals with political cooperation, justice and reconciliation) and the Joint Security Committee (which is tasked with implementing security arrangements). The parties adopted the terms of reference for both committees and discussed implementation of the Djibouti Agreement.  

The head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP)’s office in Somalia, Ali Osman Ahmed, was killed.

9 June 2008

The TFG and a wing of the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) reached agreement (the Djibouti Agreement) on  cessation of hostilities and other measures. 

2 June 2008

The Council adopted resolution 1816 authorising states cooperating with the TFG to take action  against piracy and robbery in  Somali territorial waters after notification to the Secretary-General by the TFG.

The Council undertook a mission to Djibouti to discuss the situation in Somalia as part of a broader visit to a number of African countries.

mid-May 2008

Peace talks commenced in Djibouti between the TFG and a wing of the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) under Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, mediated by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah.

1 May 2008

Al-Shabaab leader Aden Hashi Farah Ayrow was killed in a US air strike.

Somali and AU representatives made an urgent plea to the Council at an open meeting, calling for future UN takeover of peacekeeping responsibilities in Somalia. AU Permanent Observer Lila H. Ratsifandrihamanana also called for UN assistance to AMISOM.

The transitional parliament confirmed the appointment of Nur Hassan Hussein as prime minister.

TFG officials and many clan leaders met in Jeddah under Saudi Arabian auspices to sign the National Reconciliation Conference' outcome document. The meeting also called for the deployment of an Arab-African force under UN aegis to replace Ethiopian troops and reinforce peacekeeping in Somalia.

At an opposition meeting in Asmara, under Eritrean facilitation, the "Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia" was established, vowing to fight TFG and Ethiopian troops in Somalia, and criticised the AMISOM for taking sides.

15 July - August 2007 

A National Reconciliation Conference was held in Mogadishu with 1,000 delegates attending. After weeks of negotiation under persistent insurgent attacks it reached agreement on an outcome document that included provisions for reconciliation and the preparation of a roadmap to elections in 2009, in fulfilment of the Transitional Federal Charter.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council requested that the issue of piracy be brought to the attention of the Security Council.

In a private Council debate, Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi reiterated calls from the TFG for a transition from AMISOM to a UN operation. Gedi renewed TFG pledges for an all-inclusive reconciliation conference.

February 2007

The Council authorised the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).

December 2006-January 2007

Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces overran the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC).

October- November 2006

The Union of Islamic Courts encircled the TFGat its sole outpost, Baidoa. Ethiopian troops began amassing along the border.

13 September 2006

The AU Peace and Security Council formally endorsed IGASOM's mission plan.

5 September 2006

The TFG and the UIC reached an agreement on joint security forces.  IGAD adopted a revised IGAD Peace Support Mission to Somalia (IGASOM) mission plan. 

29 August 2006

The Contact Group met in Stockholm.

21 July 2006

The International Contact Group called on the TFG and UIC to resume talks and to make them more inclusive. 

22 June 2006

The first round of talks between the TFG and Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), faciliated by the Arab League, took place in Khartoum.

15 June 2006

At its first meeting, the International Contact Group on Somalia expressed support for the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFI) framework and dialogue.

13 June 2006

IGAD decided to make a list of individuals "involved in illegal use of arms" and to apply individual sanctions (such as assets freeze and travel bans) against "all warlords." 

early June 2006

The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) seized control of Mogadishu and Jowhar from the coalition of warlords known as the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism. 

September 2005

Somaliland held internationally monitored elections.

June 2005

The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) moved to Jowhar. 

May 2005

The African Union (AU) authorised IGAD Peace Support Mission to Somalia (IGASOM).

April 2005

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) decided to send troops to Somalia.

10 October 2004

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was elected president of Somalia and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was established. 

The mandate of the Panel of Experts was expanded to investigate violations of the arms embargo via land, air and sea; to pursue information related to violations; and to make recommendations to give effect to and strengthen the embargo.

July 2002

The Council redefined the arms embargo to prohibit “the direct or indirect supply to Somalia of technical advice, financial and other assistance, and training related to military activities,” and established the Panel of Experts to assist the Sanctions Committee with the following mandate: to investigate all forms of violations, to assess the capacity of the states in the region to implement the arms embargo, and to provide recommendations to the Council on ways to strengthen enforcement of the arms embargo.

The Council in resolution 1407 established a two-member Team of Experts to examine the feasibility and prospects for an arms embargo monitoring mechanism.

April 1995

UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) was established.

November 1994

The Council decided to terminate the UN Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) by March 1995. 

3 October 1993

Troops from a separate US force, deployed in Mogadishu (outside UNOSOM and thus not under UN command and control), launched an operation to capture General Aidid without the knowledge or consent of the UN. Hundreds of Somalis died. Two US Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and 18 American soldiers were killed, some dragged though the streets. 75 US troops were wounded. The US announced its withdrawal from Somalia by March 1994.

5 June 1993

Pakistani UN troops were attacked by General Aidid's faction after leaving an authorised weapons storage site: 24 were killed, 57 injured, 6 missing (1 of whom died in captivity) and 5 later released. 

March 1993

UN Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) was established.

December 1992

The Council authorised United Nations Task Force (UNITAF) to guard and distribute relief supplies.

April 1992

UN Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I) and a Sanctions Committee were established.

January 1992

The Council imposed an arms embargo in resolution 733.

1991

Civil war broke out; Somaliland declared independence.