Somalia: UN Security Council calls for immediate ceasefire and stabilization

Expressing concern that "recent disagreements and increased tensions" threaten the viability of Transitional Federal Institutions being relocated to Somalia from Kenya, the United Nations Security Council today urged the Somali leadership to reduce tensions and conclude a comprehensive and verifiable ceasefire agreement leading to final disarmament.

The Council president for July, Greek Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, read a statement approved in a formal meeting by the 15-member body, saying "violence or military action by any members of the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) or other parties is unacceptable as the means for dealing with the current differences within the TFIs."

"The Council reiterates that any members of those Institutions or other parties who persist on the path of confrontation and conflict, including military action, will be held accountable," he said.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted last month that although the interim Government was formed in Nairobi, Kenya, over eight months ago, deep splits between President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan over its location within Somalia have stalled a move to either the Somali capital, Mogadishu, or nearby Jawhar.

On the arms embargo, the Council said no effective and lasting progress in Somalia can be made as long as arms and ammunition flow unchecked across the country's borders, adding that a stable and secure environment is essential to the future success of the national reconciliation process.

The Council said it expects the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to work out a detailed plan for deploying a Peace Support Mission in close coordination with the TFIs and consistent with a national security and stabilization plan.