CM/Res.1486 (LIX)
RESOLUTION ON SOMALIA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Fifty-ninth Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 31 January to 4 February 1994,
Having considered the Report of the Secretary General on the situation in Somalia, contained in Document CM/1802 (LIX),
Recalling the Agreement concluded at the Conference on National Reconciliation in Somalia held from 15 to 17 March 1993 in Addis Ababa,
Concerned about the social, economic and environmental effects and the consequences of the flow of refugees and displaced persons on the security of neighbouring States,
Appreciative of the commendable efforts made by H.E. President Mubarak of Egypt and current Chairman of the OAU and H.E. President Meles Zenawi, President of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia, in accordance with the mandate, entrusted to him by the OAU Heads of State and Government to assist the Somalis in restoring peace and achieving national reconciliation in their country,
Acknowledging the efforts deployed by the OAU Secretary General with a view to settling the Somali conflict,
Considering further the praiseworthy efforts made by the International Community to give humanitarian assistance to Somalia and its disposition to help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country;
Affirming the imperative need to establish a secure atmosphere conducive to the humanitarian activities and the peace process in Somalia,
Bearing in mind the decision of some Western powers to withdraw their contingents from UNOSOM II on 31 March 1994 at the latest,
Recognizing the major role of Africa in the settlement of the Somali conflict:
TAKES NOTE WITH APPRECIATION of the Report of the Secretary General;
COMMENDS H.E. President Mubarak, the current Chairman of the OAU, H.E. President Meles Zenaqi of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia and Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim the OAU Secretary-General on their relentless efforts in the search for a negotiated political solution to the Somali problem;
EXPRESSES IS FULL SUPPORT for the commendable efforts made by H.E. president Meles Zenawi as mandated by the OAU and
ENCOURAGES him to persevere in his task to remove all the obstacles impeding the speedy settlement of the Somali problem;
REITERATES the appeal made by the Central Organ at its Summit meeting in Cairo, on 7 December 1993, to the United Nations, particularly to UNOSOM II to work in close coordination and partnership with the OAU Central Organ for conflict prevention, management and resolution and particularly with President Meles Zenawi to facilitate political reconciliation and the implementation of all agreements on Somalia and stresses the need for Africa to speak with a unified voice with respect to the problem of Somalia and for UNOSOM to focus on assisting the Somalis implement the Agreements and facilitating relief and rehabilitation activities;
FURTHER REITERATES the call made by the Central Organ for UNOSOM’s mandate to be reviewed and its contingents in Somalia to be redeployed accordingly;
EXPRESSES its concern about the lack of progress since the Cairo Summit of the Central Organ with respect to a close working relationship, consultation and partnership that must exist between the OAU and the UN on the question of Somalia, and REQUESTS the Secretary General in this regard to do all that is necessary with the view to ensuring that important decisions are not taken on Somalia by the UN without consultation with the OAU and also REQUESTS the African Group in New York to bring its influence to bear on the Security Council, inter alia, through the Non-Aligned Caucus with the view to advancing the same goal;
REITERATES that restoration of peace I Somalia remains essentially the responsibility of the Somalis and that the international community can only help them in the realization of that objective;
CALLS UPON, consequently, all the Somali parties concerned to work together and give priority to peace and national reconciliation;
APPEALS to the International Community to provide for a substantial and effective humanitarian assistance programme in Somalia in conformity with the consensus reach at the Fourth Humanitarian Conference on Somalia held on 29 November 1993 in Addis Ababa and to assist Somali refugees in the neighbouring countries of Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti and to facilitate repatriation and reintegration of the Somalis;
REQUESTS the Central Organ and the Secretary-General to continue to follow closely developments of the situation in Somalia and report to the next Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers.