Political Developments in Somalia:

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Somali Business Community meeting
On 21 and 22 March 2009, UNPOS organized and supported a meeting with the Somali Business Community with technical assistance provided by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNDP. The objective of the meeting was to develop a strategy for the establishment of an environment conducive to career development and job opportunities for youth and to assess the business community’s role within this strategic setting. A Communiqué was issued at the close of the meeting acknowledging the urgency of creating work for the people of Somalia, especially the youth, as a step towards peace and reconciliation. The SBC agreed to support short-term youth employment and requested the Steering Committee to proved within 30 days concrete projects to be funded. It was also agreed to establish a follow-up committee to design and implement a strategy that would lead to the development of entrepreneurship.

Government returns to Mogadishu
The President, Prime Minister, Ministers and Parliamentarians left Djibouti for Mogadishu during the last week of February. The Prime Minister held his first cabinet meeting in Mogadishu on 28 February and Parliament met for the first time in Mogadishu on 04 March. At its third meeting, on 10 March 2009, the Cabinet agreed to adopt Sharia Law.

Prime Minister is appointed
President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed formally announced Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, as the new Prime Minister in Djibouti on 13 February. Days after he was sworn in, the Prime Minister appointed a cabinet consisting of 36 Ministers. The newly elected Prime Minister said he hoped to restore peace and stability to Somalia by focusing efforts on reconciliation, solving conflicts
between Somalis and returning displaced people to homes.

Sheikh Sharif is elected President
On 31 January 2009 Chairman of the ARS, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was elected as Somalia’s new President by the expanded Parliament. Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, Sheikh Sharif’s opponent, along with others, dropped out of the race after the first round. In the second round of voting Sheikh Sharif ran against the son of former Somali President Barre, Maslah Mohamed Siyad, and won with more than two-thirds of the votes cast. The voting, which began on the evening of 30 January and carried on into the early morning, was witnessed by the international community.

TFP agrees to expand
On 26 January, Somalia’s Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) meeting in the People’s Palace, Djibouti voted on the expansion of Parliament with 211 in favour, six against and three abstentions. It agreed that 200 seats would be reserved for the ARS and 75 seats for civil society and opposition members not in the ARS. Two days later the Parliament voted in favour of extending its term until August 2011. Most of the new ARS MPs were sworn in over the following days.

President Yusuf resigns
On 29 December 2008, President Abdullahi Yusuf formerly announced his resignation in a statement which he delivered before Parliament and Cabinet members in Baidoa. The President said that he was resigning to avoid being seen as an “obstacle to peace” in Somalia. According to the Somalia Transitional Federal Charter (TFC), a new president must be elected within 30 days of the incumbent’s resignation.

Ethiopian troops withdrawal from Somalia
In November 2008, the Ethiopian Government announced that it would withdraw its forces from Somalia by the end of the year. The troops began vacating key locations on 13 January 2009 in Mogadishu and completed their withdrawal from the capital two days later. In early December, an ARS delegation, led by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, returned to Somalia for the first time in two years and received a warm welcome.

Conference on Federalism and Decentralization
UNPOS and UNDP convened a Conference on Federalism and Decentralization in Nairobi on 27 and 28 November 2008 in which political decision-makers and experts from Somalia and the Diaspora looked at forms of government that could be most appropriate for Somalia. Working groups submitted recommendations to the High-Level Committee on issues relating to the draft Constitution.

Justice and Reconciliation Workshop
At the same time in Djibouti, members of the High Level Committee attended a Workshop on Justice and Reconciliation facilitated by UNPOS and other partners and agreed to look at possibilities of establishing a Commission of Inquiry and an international court to address violations of human rights and international law and impunity in their country.

Principles of power-sharing
The High Level Committee agreed on 25 November 2008 to a number of principles of power-sharing which included enlarging Parliament with 200 seats allocated to the ARS and another 75 seats to be reserved for members of civil society, members of the opposition outside the ARS, women, the business community and the Diaspora with the intention of establishing a Unity Government.

Political Joint Declaration and Cessation of Armed Violence
In October 2008 UNPOS facilitated a meeting with the TFG and the ARS in Djibouti which led to the signing of two key documents on 26 October 2008. A Joint Declaration welcomed the assistance of the international community and leadership of the United Nations for the early establishment of a Somali Government of National Unity. The declaration, signed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmed Abdisalam Aden and the ARS Chairman, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said the Government would be open to all Somali nationals and would involve an inclusive parliament.

The leaders of the Joint Security Commission delegations agreed to the Cessation of Armed Violence which stated that a ceasefire would become effective on 5 November 2008. The agreement also covered the relocation of the Ethiopian troops and specified that measures to avoid a security vacuum would include AMISOM taking the initial responsibility for security with the assistance of the TFG and ARS security forces, until the deployment of UN Forces.

Stockholm Conference
On 20 October 2008, UNPOS chaired a meeting with the International Community in Stockholm. The “UN Preparatory Meeting for the International Conference on Reconstruction and Development” laid out the progress to date, the outstanding needs and resources, and the challenges that lie ahead in view of addressing long term economic concerns for Somalia.

High Level Committee and Joint Security Committee
In August 2008 delegations from the TFG and the ARS met in Djibouti to establish the High Level Committee (HLC) and the Joint Security Committee (JSC) as specified in the Djibouti Agreement.

In the Djibouti Agreement, the High Level Committee was tasked with addressing issues related to political cooperation as well as concerns over justice and reconciliation issues. The HLC established effective liaison between the Parties at the talks, found appropriate and peaceful solutions implementing the Djibouti Agreement in full; considered issues relating to humanitarian access at the time; and achieved confidence between the Parties allowing for the results obtained in late January 2009.

During its first meeting, 16 - 19 August, 2008, the JSC adopted its Terms of Reference which said the JSC would consist of 30 members with equal representation from both sides and be co-chaired by the UN and AU. The JSC held a workshop in South Africa from 9 - 19 October 2008 on the military technical modalities for the implementation of the ceasefire. A second training was held in November in Kenya and focused on planning for the relocation of the JSC to Somalia and the implementation of the ceasefire.

Djibouti Agreement
On 9 June 2008, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) initialed an Agreement in Djibouti witnessed by several various countries and regional organizations.
The Agreement, which was subsequently signed on August 19 2008, witnessed by the members of the international community, including AU, LAS, IGAD, OIC, US, UK, EU, France, Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.

The Agreement provides for the cessation of armed confrontation by both Parties for an initial period of 90 days renewable, starting 30 days from the signing of the Agreement; the submission of a joint request to the United Nations to authorize and deploy an international stabilization force, within 120 days from friendly countries …….

Djibouti Agreement
On 9 June 2008, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) initialed an Agreement in Djibouti witnessed by several various countries and regional organizations. The Agreement provides for the cessation of armed confrontation by both Parties for an initial period of 90 days renewable, starting 30 days from the signing of the Agreement; the submission of a joint request to the United Nations to authorize and deploy an international stabilization force, within 120 days from friendly countries, excluding neighboring States; within 120 days, the TFG to act in accordance with the Ethiopian Government’s decision to withdraw its troops from Somalia following the deployment “of a sufficient number of UN forces” and the ARS to cease and condemn all acts of armed violence. Both parties to undertake all necessary measures to ensure unhindered humanitarian access; the establishment of a Joint Security Committee and a High Level Committee to address challenges related to political, justice and reconciliation issues. The convening of a conference before the end of July 2008 to discuss these issues; the organization of an international conference aimed at supporting Somalia’s reconstruction and development within the next six months.

Formation of a new Government:
On 22 November 2007, Nur Hassan Hussein was appointed Prime Minister. On 2 December, he appointed a Cabinet of 73 members, including 31 Ministers, 31 Deputy Ministers and 11 State Ministers. However, following growing criticism from within and outside Somalia, Prime Minister Hussein, in consultation with President Yusuf, appointed a streamlined government largely composed of competent professionals as recommended by the National Reconciliation Congress. On 6 January 2008, Prime Minister Hussein announced the appointment of a new Cabinet comprising 18 Ministers and 5 Deputy Ministers.

The Prime Minister reiterated on several occasions his commitment to engage with all Somalis irrespective of their political affiliations. On 5 December 2007, at a meeting convened in Addis Ababa by the United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, he reiterated the readiness of his Government to reach out to all Somalis who want to participate in a peaceful transition to a democratic regime.

The Prime Minister relocated his office from Baidoa to Mogadishu on 20 January 2008.  Thereafter, he made public statements on his Government’s willingness to restore security, uphold the freedom of the press and promote national reconciliation. The Parliament has remained in Baidoa.

Asmara Meeting
The Congress for the Liberation and Reconstitution of Somalia made up of members of the Islamic Courts Union and former Parliamentarians met in Asmara in September 2007, established the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, elected a leadership and adopted an action plan.

National Reconciliation Congress 2007
From 15 July to 30 August 2007, the National Reconciliation Congress was held in Mogadishu with the participation of 2,600 delegates representing the clans, as well as women’s groups and the Diaspora. It was organized by the National Governance and Reconciliation Committee, chaired by former President, Ali Mahdi Mohamed. The  participants agreed on a number of outcomes including the announcement of an end to all conflicts and feuds between Somali clans since 1991; a call to all Somali parties to voluntarily disarm and return looted property; the urging of the Transitional Federal Institutions to complete the constitutional processes that would lead to a Federal State; the conduct of a census and free and fair elections before the end of the transitional period; the demand for a multiparty political system in the country; and a call upon the Transitional Federal Government to amend the Charter to allow non-parliamentarians to join the cabinet. The leaders of the Transitional Federal Institutions pledged to fully implement the recommendations adopted by the Congress.

Islamic Courts Union
An alliance of Islamic Courts took control of Mogadishu from pro-government forces in June 2006 and then captured other important areas. There were several attempts to arrange a peace deal

Khartoum June – September 2006
After the ICU took control of Mogadishu in June 2006 the League of Arab States hosted a reconciliation meeting in Khartoum. The two sides signed Khartoum I Agreement agreeing to recognize the legality of the TFG, the presence of the ICU and to continue the dialogue. After a second meeting a final communiqué urged both sides to reconstitute the Somali security forces and work towards the reintegration of the forces of the ICU, the TFG and other armed militias but was never implemented.  Fighting broke out in December 2006 in which the Somalis, backed by Ethiopian troops with tanks and air support, defeated the ICU

“Somaliland”
“Somaliland” held peaceful elections in September 2005 in which the two opposition parties took control of parliament through a coalition.

President Yusuf elected 2005
The Federal Transitional Parliament met for the first time in Somalia in February 2006 in Baidoa. On 10 October 2005, the President of "Puntland," Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, was elected President of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) which had set up in Jowhar, north of Mogadishu in June 2005.

Somali National Reconciliation Conference organized by IGAD 2002 - 2004
Following two years of discussions in Kenya organized by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development or IGAD, the Federal Transitional Parliament FTP was formally inaugurated on 29 August 2004. Previously the selection of MPs was agreed with the Hawiye, Darod, Digil and Mirifle, the Dir asked to submit a list of 61 MPs and the Allied clan  asked to submit 31 MPs.

On 29 January 2004, Somali leaders signed a document which proposed amendments to the Transitional Federal Charter which had been adopted at the plenary of the Conference on 15 September 2003. The leaders decided that: the Charter’s name would be the Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic; the government would be the Transitional Federal Government; it would have a five year term; and the transitional federal parliament would have 275 members of whom 12 per cent would be women. It also called for a national census to be undertaken while the new constitution was being drafted and a national referendum.

The Somalia National Reconciliation Conference opened in Eldoret, Kenya in October 2002 with 600 Somali representatives who signed a declaration on cessation of hostilities. In February 2003 it moved to Mbagathi, where the number of delegates was cut from over 1000 to 366

The Arta Agreement - 2000
A Reconciliation Conference for more than 2,500 participants from all sections of  Somali society met from May to August in Arta, Djibouti. A National Parliament was formed, Dr. Abdikassim Salad Hassan was elected president and the new Transitional National Government was recognized internationally.  However a Kenyan effort in January 2002 to bring together TNG and opposition factions failed. The TNG moved to Mogadishu in August 2000 but its authority was challenged by Somali leaders in the south of the country and by northern regional administrations in "Puntland" and "Somaliland".

Earlier peace agreements
Earlier agreements included the Cairo Agreement (1997) the Sodere Agreement  (1996) where Somali faction leaders agreed on a National Salvation Council to oppose General Aided. This was preceded by the Addis Ababa Agreement  (1993) in which the leaders of 15 movements signed agreements on a ceasefire, a monitoring group and disarmament in UN chaired talks.  Later they agreed on a Transitional National Council but it ended in June 1993 when UNOSOM II troops were attacked. As early as July 1991 Djibouti hosted a national reconciliation conference for all Somali factions except former President Said Barre’s SNF which agreed on a ceasefire and a parliament with Ali Mahdi Mohammed as interim President, which was derailed by fighting.