3 July 2017 - A high level IGAD delegation headed by the Executive Secretary, H.E. Ambassador Engineer Mahboub Maalim, made a briefing to a joint meeting of the United Nations Sanctions Committees (UNSC) on Somalia and Eritrea and Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da’esh) on 30 June 2017 in New York, USA regarding the final findings of the report on the “Transnational Terrorist Threat in the Region”. The submission of this report is the second phase of the Transnational Security Threat initiative. The first phase of this initiative that focused on Al-Shabaab was also officially launched, submitted to all concerned as well as briefed to the UNSC Sanctions Committee on Somalia and Eritrea in mid August 2016.
The main aim of the Transnational Security Threat initiative, which IGAD through its office of the IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) is undertaking is to promote cooperation and coordination within the region. In addition, the submission and briefing of the findings of these reports to the UNSC Sanctions Committee is to underscore the threat the various groups represents to the region, and to assert the full cooperation of IGAD and its Member States to the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea in line with UNSC Resolution 2023 (2011) paragraph 17, among others.
Prior to the briefing, the high level delegation consisting of the IGAD Executive Secretary, IGAD SSP Director, and experts from Sahan Research held meetings with representatives of the IGAD Member States (present were Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Ethiopia with apologies from Somalia and Djibouti due to other committment) to introduce and provide a briefing on IGAD’s findings and objective of the team’s presentation to the UNSC Sanctions Committees. The Member States noted the overall satisfaction both with the TST initiative and with the final report and congratulated the team on the work done so far. The representatives further offered to provide any necessary support in the future to ensure success of the initiative and requested the IGAD’s Executive Secretary to brief them at least twice a year in New York.
The delegation also held meetings with the representatives of UK Permanent Mission to the UN who showed interest on issues pertaining to ISIS, Somalia and South Sudan. In addition, the delegation met with the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN, H.E. Ambassador Kairat Umarov, and his staff, as the country is currently serving as the Chair of the UNSC Sanctions Committee on Somalia and Eritrea and Al-Qaida and ISIL. Ambassador Umarov welcomed the final report and praised IGAD’s initiative to report to the UNSC. He further emphasized the need for regional and sub-regional organizations to provide input to the UN Security Council, and in the case of IGAD, on issues affecting the Horn of Africa and specifically IGAD Member-States. The Ambassador noted that IGAD’s initiative plays an important role to the relevant UNSC Sanctions Committees, and he also informed the IGAD delegation that he plans to travel to the Horn of Africa region in his capacity as the Chair of both Committees and to visit the State of Eritrea upon final approval by both Committee member-states.
On 30 June 2017, H.E Ambassador Engineer Mahboob Maalim introduced and presented the IGAD TST initiative and the findings of the final report to both Sanctions Committee members. The representative from Djibouti made an official request to attend the briefing and upon no objections from any Committee members, the representative was allowed to attend the briefing as an observer.
In general, the briefing was well received as several member states welcomed IGAD’s final report. Further to the briefing, some member states (Italy, Senegal and Sweden) asked questions on the findings, which were further clarified. While appreciating the efforts of IGAD, the Committee members and the Chair encouraged IGAD to conduct further briefings in the near future. (END)