Representatives of the State of Qatar, the Republic of Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States of America met in London on 30 April in an interagency format, on the occasion of the sixth meeting of the Somalia Quint. Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) representatives also participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, Quint Partners noted on-going regional tensions in the Horn of Africa and called for de-escalation and dialogue. They re-affirmed their support to the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The meeting also discussed recent steps forward on constitutional reform as well as plans for the National Consultative Council and emphasized the importance of an inclusive political process.
The Partners reaffirmed their support for the FGS’s ambition to increase security and stability in Somalia. They discussed how they will collaborate to assist the FGS in the development of its security sector, including through increased information sharing. They affirmed their support for the Security Sector Development Plan (SSDP) presented by His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the December 2023 Security Conference in New York. They discussed areas to prioritise, including training and sustainability.
The Partners discussed and welcomed plans for a new mission following the end of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. They recognised the importance of a more focused mission to support Somalia as it takes on primary responsibility for security and to ensure fully effective counter terrorism activity against al-Shabaab. They noted the challenges of funding a new mission; and agreed to support Somalia in its efforts to secure this funding. They also noted the importance of enhanced collaboration between FGS and Federal Member States to ensure the new mission’s success.
Quint Partners affirmed their broad-ranging support for efforts led by the FGS to counter al-Shabaab, alongside progress in the Somali National Army’s ground offensive to reduce their hold on territory. They agreed that to protect gains made and degrade the group further, effective stabilisation approaches and security arrangements were key, alongside disruption of al-Shabaab’s ability to recruit, raise funds via extortion, procure weapons and radicalise with extremist messaging. They expressed support for effective coordination in the FGS’ national security architecture to this end, including through the National Operations Centre.
At the conclusion of the meeting Quint Partners agreed to reconvene for a seventh meeting of the Somalia Quint in Washington.