Somalia and Related Horn of Africa Issues
Expected Council Action
Somalia is not expected to be on the Council work programme as such in August. However, because of interrelated issues, including the work by the Somalia Sanctions Committee on a list of individuals and entities for targeted sanctions (including possibly persons from Eritrea), the pressure for Council action against Eritrea from Djibouti, and the dynamics created by recent developments in Somalia (including French personnel being held hostage), it seems inevitable that Council members will be continuing to discuss Somalia in various ways during August.
Key Recent Developments
Please see our Update Report of 20 July 2009 for background on the situation between Djibouti and Eritrea and the linkages between this issue and wider problems in the Horn of Africa, including Eritrea’s alleged support for the insurgency in Somalia.
A key development is the progress made by the Somalia Sanctions Committee. It seems that it is close to producing names for the list of persons and entities that would be subject to targeted sanctions. And it seems that among the peace spoilers envisaged for sanctions are some persons in Eritrea.
A related development is that Djibouti continues to press for more explicit Council action against Eritrea.
The transfer to Al-Shabaab insurgents of two French personnel abducted in Mogadishu while providing training to Transitional Federal Government security forces has added a new dimension to the issues.
Council Dynamics
A number of Council members are sensitive to the possibility that adopting sanctions against Eritrean personnel at this time could complicate efforts to secure the freedom of the French advisers.
Selected Security Council Resolutions |
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Selected Security Council Presidential Statements |
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Selected Report of the Secretary-General |
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Letter from the Secretary-General |
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Other |
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