Somalia

The Council prolonged the mandates of its two Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions in Somalia and Operation ATALANTA. The mandate of EUCAP Somalia, the EU's civilian capacity-building mission, EUTM Somalia, the EU's military training mission, and Operation ATALANTA, the EU’s executive military maritime operation, will now run until 31 December 2022.

Somalia has announced it is severing ties with Kenya, accusing its neighbour of interfering in its affairs on the eve of anticipated elections in 2021. The abrupt end came a day after Kenya hosted Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, the head of the self-proclaimed independent state that is not recognised by Somalia.

The United States is pulling hundreds of troops deployed to Somalia to battle al-Shabab terrorists even as military commanders admit the threat from the al-Qaida-linked terror group has not been eliminated. … The Pentagon said in an unsigned statement Friday that an unspecified number of U.S. troops would be moved to neighboring countries, while others would be reassigned outside East Africa.

UNSOM’s chief discusses if the conflict in Somalia is the United Nation’s biggest diplomatic failure.

[…] Mr. Miller is preparing to announce as early as next week that virtually all of the more than 700 American military troops in Somalia will depart by the time President Trump leaves office in January. … Still, critics said the expected troop cuts would occur at a difficult time for Somalia.

[…] In his inaugural speech to the UN Security Council on Monday, Mr Roble said the planned elections that start next month should signal a permanent departure from chaos that for long defined the country.

The “broad political consensus” reached in September that ended a two-year stalemate in Somalia must be “preserved and indeed deepened”, the country’s UN envoy told the Security Council on Monday. 

With many focused on the dangerous conflict in Ethiopia, Somalia is facing a triple security crisis. If unaddressed, it could severely jeopardize the country’s halting progress.

Somalia’s preparation for this year's elections is facing an early bump after 12 contenders for the presidency rejected the poll team named last week.