Kismayo –  Representatives of the African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and United Nations visited Jubaland today in the third of a series of consultative meetings in Federal Member States.

As 2019 draws to a close, we are reflecting on the progress made this year, and looking ahead to 2020 as a critical year for Somalia.  We are here to engage with a range of stakeholders and to hear their views on how key national priorities can be achieved in 2020.  These include preparations for ‘one-person, one-vote’ elections, finalisation of the Federal Constitution, continued progress towards debt relief, and the fight against al-Shabaab. Ahead of this critical year, representatives of some of Somalia’s multilateral partners are engaging with national authorities, Federal Member States, elders, and civil society, across the country. We regret that on today’s visit, some invited civil society and community leaders were unable to meet with us.

In Jubaland the political situation remains unsettled but Jubaland and its people will have their role to play in the work to achieve Somalia’s goals in 2020 and we did not wish their views to be overlooked.  The visit afforded the opportunity to understand directly from the stakeholders in Jubaland the issues that continue to divide them and what solutions may be possible through dialogue, pragmatism and compromise, and prioritization of the national interest. Without peaceful resolution, the Jubaland situation poses risks for achievement of critical national priorities. We are grateful to the representatives we met for sharing their ideas.

Somalia’s objectives are achievable with the strong collaboration of all stakeholders and 2020 has the potential to be a historic year for Somalia. We encourage all Somali leaders, institutions, and communities to engage in dialogue to agree on a way forward, and to cooperate to realise the priorities agreed for the year ahead.

We look forward to supporting Somalia to fulfil the national priorities it has committed to in 2020.