Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud elected as the new President of Somalia
Somali MPs have elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud as the country's new president during a meeting in the Somali capital Mogadishu. It’s the first time in years that a president has been elected on Somali soil, marking the end of the Transitional Federal Institutions.
EU High Representative Catherine Ashton commented: "The EU welcomes the prospects this occasion brings to Somalia for lasting peace, prosperity and stability to the millions of people who have suffered from a protracted conflict over the years. The adoption of a new Provisional Constitution in particular marks the beginning of a new, democratic era in Somalia. There is now much work to be done." She added: "The EU looks forward to the new Government's work plan, and highlights the urgent need for a mechanism to guarantee the sound use of financial resources. The EU takes this opportunity to assure the Somali people of its continued support. In this framework, the EU supports AMISOM in its mission to create the necessary conditions for the development of Somali security forces and contributes to their building up through CSDP engagement (EUTM and EUCAP Nestor)."
Since the deployment of AMISOM, the EU has been one of the main funders of the operation, both through the African Peace Facility (APF), which is the EU's main instrument to support Peace and Security in Africa, and through bilateral contributions of its Member States. The APF's financial support to AMISOM is an integral part of the EU's comprehensive and long-term approach to support security and development efforts in Somalia. This approach contains political, diplomatic, civilian, military, humanitarian and development dimensions.
For the period 2008-2013, the EU is allocating approximately €415 million to development projects in Somalia. Providing food for the poor is one of the key areas of support as still millions of people are at the risk of hunger. EU development aid aims at improving access to water and support for the livestock and agriculture sectors; mainly through the distribution of seeds and fertilisers, as well as cash transfer systems. From humanitarian aid the EU allocated €77 million in 2011 and €40 million in 2012 to Somalia to support the victims of drought, flooding, famine, conflict and displacement.
Other development projects focus on good governance by supporting institution building, reconciliation and human rights. This is complemented by EU funded projects on maritime security, water resources management and de-mining in the liberated areas (€102 million).
Full statement of HR/VP Ashton:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=PESC/12/374&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kenya – Somalia Unit:
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/somalia/index_en.htm
