James Swan, the new UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, inspects a parade mounted by the United Nations Guard Unit upon arrival at Aden Abdulle International Airport, Mogadishu, Somalia, on 25 June 2019.  (UN Photo / Ilyas Ahmed)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  –  NEW  YORK – The Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until Aug. 31, 2020.  The resolution requests the UN Secretary-General to continue to inform the Security Council regularly on implementation of the resolution through oral updates and written reports addressing the situation on the ground and progress towards achieving key political benchmarks. The draft resolution further notes that the next report of the Secretary-General on UNSOM is due by 13 August. The UK, the penholder on UNSOM, pursued a text calling for a mandate extension until 30 June, due largely to the impact of COVID-19 on the Council’s negotiations.  COVID-19 in Somalia is a complicating factor that appears to be affecting electoral preparations.  Somalia has been heavily affected by COVID-19, with over 2,700 cases as of 20 June, and there has been no progress towards the establishment of an electoral timetable.  Council members last discussed Somalia in an open videoconference (VTC), followed by a closed VTC, on 21 May. The briefers were James Swan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia; Francisco Caetano José Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia and Head of the AU Mission in Somalia; and Agnès Marcaillou, Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service.  Council members have repeatedly stated that Somalia is at a “critical juncture.”  They have called on Somalia to take action to lay the foundations for successful elections.

SOMALIA Making Economic Progress In Clearing $5 Billion in Debt – COVID-19 A Concern 

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  ©Diplomatic Times  /  James Swan, head of the United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), speaks at the International Peace Institute forum in New York City February 25, 2020  discussion of Somalia’s recent progress and immediate future.

James Swan, head of the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), recently said the Horn-of-Africa nation Somalia in making good economic progress and that 2020 can be “the year of delivery” for the country.    Addressing the Security Council  last month,   Swan  said COVID-19 is a concern in the Horn-of-Africa nation.   “Somalia, like the rest of the world, is focused on confronting the coronavirus  disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Somalia has more than 1,500 recorded cases, although the actual figures are almost certainly much higher,”  Swan said.  In addition to the medical and humanitarian effects, COVID-19 is also having a severely negative economic impact on Somalia. The Federal Government projects an 11 per cent decline in nominal gross domestic product for 2020. Revenue generation has suffered from the closure of ports and airports. Vital remittances from the diaspora have dwindled by 40 per cent.

UNSOM was established on June 3, 2013 by Security Council Resolution 2102, following a comprehensive assessment of the United Nations in support of the establishment of the Federal Government of Somalia.