UNOSOM II mandate renewed, humanitarian aspect stressed.

The mandate of the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM II) was renewed by the Security Council until 30 September, subject to a review no later than 29 July, after which the Council might consider other options regarding its mandate and future operations.

By unanimously adopting resolution 923 (1994) on 31 may, the Council decided that the review should be based on the Secretary-General's report on the humanitarian mission carried out by UNOSOM II and on the political and security situation in Somalia and progress made in achieving national reconciliation.

"The Somali people deserve a chance", the Secretary-General said in a 24 May report (S/1994/614) to the Council. He recommended the mandate extension despite the negative assessment of the political and security situation in Somalia. What was required from the Somali people, he pointed out, was evidence of serious and productive pursuit of the reconciliation process, strict observance of the cease-fire and cooperation with UNOSOM in preventing the recurrence of clashes and resolving local clan and factional conflicts.

The Secretary-General stated that the mandate renewal would signify Member States' determination to fulfil the UN vision of assisting Somalia towards political reconciliation, national reconstruction and peace.

In resolution 923, the Council also demanded that all parties in Somalia refrain from any acts of intimidation or violence against personnel engaged in humanitarian or peace-keeping work in the country. They were strongly urged to cooperate fully with UNOSOM II, carry out their commitments and implement the agreements they had signed, including those relating to voluntary disarmament, and pursue without delay the negotiations aimed at achieving national reconciliation.

Expressing appreciation to Member States which had provided troops or assistance, the Council underlined the continuing importance of UNOSOM II having the necessary troops, civilian personnel, equipment and financial and logistical support to carry out its mandate effectively.

Appreciation was also expressed to States which had extended humanitarian assistance or supported the Somali justice and police programmes, which should be accelerated, and such contributions were encouraged further on an urgent basis.

The Council also reaffirmed States' obligations to implement fully the embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment t imposed by resolution 733 (1992).

Avoiding the abyss

In his 24 May report, the Secretary-General also said: "Deciding to phase out the Somalia operation would signify abandonment of that vision and the risk of the country sliding back into the abyss from which it was barely rescued less than two years ago."

He emphasized that his recommendations were predicated on the assumption that Somali leaders would prove willing to pursue the path to political reconciliation. Should that not be the case, he stated that he would not rule out recommending the force's withdrawal. As such, a comprehensive contingency withdrawal plan was being formulated, because in the event of a failure of the political reconciliation process and/or a large-scale resumption of fighting, Member States' military and financial support for UNOSOM would surely diminish or cease altogether.

In reviewing recent political developments, the report stated that a defining moment in UNOSOM's "complex and stormy" history was reached on 24 March, when the Nairobi Declaration was signed by General Mohamed Farah Aidid, Chairman of the Somali National Alliance (SNA), and Ali Mahdi, Spokesman of the "Group of 12".

The Nairobi Declaration called for: convening of a national reconciliation conference on 15 May to elect a President and Vice-Presidents, and to appoint a Prime Minister; and completing and reviewing the formation of local authorities and establishing them, where necessary, as a basis for regional autonomy and respect for community rights.

The political leaders also reached an understanding based on: the inviolability of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Somali Republic; repudiation of violence as a means of solving conflicts; implementation of a cease-fire and voluntary disarmament; respect for fundamental human rights and democratic principles: the creation of an atmosphere conducive to brotherly coexistence among all Somalis; and the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country after the devastation of the civil war.

Somali political faction leaders, the report went on, were no longer talking about establishing a transitional national council, as stipulated in the 1993 Addis Ababa Accords, but rather were aiming at the formation of a national legislative assembly.

The preparatory meeting and the National Reconciliation Conference were to be "entirely Somali affairs, with a view to finding a Somali solution to the Somali problem", with UNOSOM playing the role of facilitator. The preparatory meeting was subsequently postponed, initially to give the factions more time to deliberate, the report continued. Inter-clan fighting and the consequent deterioration in the security situation later resulted in some factions asking for a change of venue.

The Secretary-General's report also mentioned efforts to convene the Lower Juba Reconciliation Conference in Kismayo, which opened on 24 May and ended on 19 June with 19 Somali leaders signing a nine-point peace agreement.

Efforts to rearm 

The report stated that various factions, in apparent anticipation of UNOSOM's eventual with making an effort to rearm. The construction of combat vehicles, known as "technicals", had resumed

Personnel from UNOSOM and other organizations had been threatened, attacked and sometimes kidnapped by uncontrolled armed individuals.

Deficiencies in UNOSOM'S capacity resulting from the withdrawal of United States forces had not been made up in full, especially with regard to air operations and night capabilities, the report continued. The remaining troops -- 19,000 as at 11 May--were committed to the security of airports and seaports and of routes for humanitarian aid convoys, as well as to patrolling within major towns and cities to allow safe movement of UNOSOM and non-governmental organization personnel.

In spite of progress made in 1993, the emergency situation continued and the welfare of Somalis remained at risk, the report said. Security problems still plagued relief efforts. A major concern had been the increase in inter-clan conflicts and banditry and the resulting interruptions in the provision of relief assistance.

In early February, Somalia was faced with a health emergency resulting from an outbreak of cholera. A World Health Organization Task Force, supported by a Swiss disaster relief team, was deployed in Somalia to coordinate the fight against the widespread cholera epidemic. Some 1, 5 00 cases, including 100 fatalities, had been reported on 28 March.

While repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees living in other countries had continued, security problems and shortfalls in resources had slowed the programme.

Police and justice programme

The 24 May report also described the police and justice programme, as well as those relating to disarmament, demobilization and demining. The Somali Justice Programme was considered critical to the goal of Somali institutions ultimately becoming the main agents providing for the maintenance of law and order in the country. Some 7,799 police had been recruited. UNOSOM had tried to build up its civilian police component for providing training, equipment and assistance in establishing a viable Somali police force.

UNOSOM's demining policy, the report stated, was based on the principle of using Somali deminers only, since recent experience showed that expatriate firms were not necessarily acceptable to local political authorities.

Investigation results

The 1 June report (S/1994/653) of the Commission of Inquiry established pursuant to resolution 885 (1993) to investigate armed attacks on UNOSOM II personnel was submitted to the Security Council as requested and the Council decided to circulate it.

The finding that a country is without a government, as was done by the UN concerning Somalia, "has such far reaching legal and political consequences that careful criteria for invoking it seem required", the Commission stated.

Enforced disarmament in Somalia, the report said, had proved unattainable without exposing military and civilian international staff to hostile attacks resulting in casualties. Therefore, in the present context, forced disarmament of the militias under Chapter VII of the UN Charter should be abandoned.

Nations are "not prepared to accept substantial casualties for causes unrelated to their national interests. This fact puts severe limitations on peace enforcement operations", the Commission stated.

The Commission recommended that the UN should refrain from undertaking further peace enforcement actions within the internal conflicts of States and that it should, where necessary, continue peace-keeping operations of the traditional type under its Charter.

Regarding the 5 June 1993 attacks on UNOSOM II personnel, which resulted in some two dozen deaths among the Pakistani contingent, the Commission stated it "believes that the SNA orchestrated the attacks". However, the Commission said it had "not found any conclusive evidence to support" characterizations of previous investigations of the attacks as having been preplanned and pre-meditated. Commenting on how a UNOSOM inspection was carried out on 5 June at an SNA weapons storage facility, the Commission stated: "Instead of proceeding in such a manner to exhaust peaceful remedies, UNOSOM II decided, as it had the right and authority to do by virtue of resolution 814, that its very inspection would, if necessary, be carried out by military force".

In a 26 May letter of the Security Council President to the Secretary-General, the Council noted that many suggestions in the report had already been acted upon by UNOSOM II and by the Council. Council members believed that the report demonstrated the complexity and difficulty of the operation in Somalia, that many lessons had been learned, and that the Council would be able to build upon that experience in future peacekeeping operations.

Commission members were: Matthew Ngulube of Zambia, Chairman: Lt. General Gustav Hagglund of Finland; and Lt. General Emmanuel Erskine of Ghana.

Other developments

On 8 June, the Secretary-General appointed James Victor Gbeho of Ghana as his Special Representative for Somalia, effective 1 July.

A staff member of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was killed on 18 April when gunmen opened fire on a plane flying into Somalia on a cross-border feeding operation. UNHCR expressed deep concern for the safety of around 13,000 Somali refugees in conflict-torn areas of southern Yemen.