UNOSOM withdrawal completed 'virtually without a hitch': UN efforts save a quarter million lives.

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali reported on 2 March that the withdrawal of the UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM II) had been carried out "in a safe and orderly manner, ahead of schedule, and virtually without a hitch".

A Combined Task Force--"United Shield"--composed of troops from France, India, Italy, Malaysia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States--had landed in Mogadishu on 28 February to ensure a safe withdrawal.

"United Shield" troops departed Mogadishu on 3 March, after securing the withdrawal of the last of the UNOSOM II military rearguard and civilian and logistical personnel. No casualties were sustained in the operation. Force headquarters closed down operations in Nairobi, Kenya, on 8 March.

"In view of the volatile situation prevailing in Siomalia", Mr. Boutros-Ghali said, "the withdrawal was a complex exercise that required a concerted planning effort and was implemented in a skillful and coordinated manner." The phase-out, which began in November, involved the departure of 15,000 troops then deployed.

All UNOSOM soldiers and international staff had "left Somalia soil safely", he reported, as had the Combined Task Force troops.

The withdrawal was called for by the Security Council on 4 November 1994 in its resolution 954 (1994). Its completion, the Secretary-General said, "marks the end of a major phase of the efforts of the international community to facilitate the search for peace and reconciliation and to bring humanitarian assistance".

"The United Nations will not abandon Somalia", the Secretary-General declared on the day of the final withdrawal. However, he went on, the feasibility of international aid, both in the political and humanitarian areas, would depend on the cooperation by the Somali leaders with the UN and the humanitarian agencies, the resources made available for them, and the degree of security prevailing in the country.

"I hope that the Somali people will find the courage and wisdom to achieve political reconciliation and to bring peace to their country", the Secretary-General concluded.

A new political mission

In a 6 April presidential statement, the Security Council supported the Secretary-General's view that Somalia should not be abandoned by the UN. and welcomed his intention to continue a small political mission to assist the Somali parties in "coming together in national reconciliation':

The Council asserted that the UN would continue to help the Somali people to achieve a political settlement and give humanitarian and other support services, 'provided that the Somalis themselves demonstrate a disposition to peaceful resolution of the conflict and to cooperation with the international community':

The lack of sufficient cooperation from the Somali parties over security issues had "undermined" UN objectives and prevented the continuation of UNOSOM's mandate beyond 31 March, it said.

Council members, in paying tribute to those personnel who had sacrificed their lives, emphasized that the "timely intervention of UNOSOM II and the humanitarian assistance given to Somalia helped to save many lives and much property, mitigated general suffering and contributed to the search for peace".

To end the suffering

International intervention in Somalia was origirinally intended to end the human suffering which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The Council, in April 1992, set up the first UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM I) to monitor a cease-firs between rival factions, coordinate humanitarian assistance and ensure security of relief supplies in Somalia, which was plagued by interclan rivalries, widespread looting and banditry, and other difficulties.

Despite intense efforts, the humanitarian situation deteriorated alarmingly, and the Council in December 1992 authorized Member States to form a Unified Task Force (UNITAF) under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. It was mandated to use "all necessary means" to establish a safe environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and worked in coordination with UNOSOM I.

In May 1993, UNOSOM II, also provided with enforcement powers, took over from the United States-led UNITAF. Its responsibilities included: monitoring the cessation of hostilities: maintaining security at ports; repatriating refugees: and protecting humanitarian relief supplies end organizations. In addition, the UN undertook extensive efforts to promote peace and national reconciliation.

As he left Somalia for Nairobi on 28 February, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, ,lames Victor Gbeho of Ghana, declared: "When the history of Somalia comes to be written, it will be seen that we made more gains than losses."

Political presence recommended

In a 28 March comprehensive report (S/1995/231) on the work of UNOSOM II, the Secretary-General said the UN was at a point of transition in its efforts "to succour a people and a country caught in the throes of famine, civil war and the collapse of all institutions of government".

From the outset, the Organization faced famine zones in Somalia where approximately one third of all the children under the age of five had died from starvation and diseases related to malnutrition. The lives of more then half the estimated 8 million population were at risk, including I million children; up to 1.5 million persons had been displaced inside Somalia or in neighbouring countries between 1991 and mid-1993: and all institutions of governance and over half of the country's infrastructure had "disintegrated", according to the report.

Since the start of the humanitarian relief and emergency programmes, the situation changed dramatically in a number of respects. In addition to saving over a quarter of a million lives during the famine emergency, food and non-food relief contributed to the prevention of any new famine emergency.

By the end of 1994, food-for-work schemes had replaced free distribution as the main mode for food assistance delivery. UN agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) had distributed seeds and farm tools and helped to rehabilitate the agricultural infrastructure. The September 1994-January 1995 harvest actually exceeded pre-war levels and livestock programmes were so successful that exports have since begun to revive.

Also cited as humanitarian successes were: reintegration into their home areas of a significant portion of the refugees and internally displaced: significantly improved access to health services, facilities, drugs and medical supplies; and increased access for over 1.5 million people to potable water. Similar successes were reported in the field of education, with expanded access to education and training.

Some 30,000 participated

At the height of UNOSOM II, up to 30,000 UN military and logistic personnel were deployed to provide: a secure environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance: escorts for humanitarian convoys: specialized courses for the Somali police: medical aid to civilians: and help to implement community development projects.

Training was also given for "judicial personnel" in judicial administration and ethics, juvenile justice, human rights and the rule of law. Additional support was provided by UNOSOM to the court and prison systems.

UNOSOM II also aided in reestablishing an 8,500-strong police force. International support for the programme, which included salary payments for police, was scheduled to end on 31 March.

Appealing for additional funds, Mr. Boutros-Ghali warned that unless resources were made available to continue the programme past that date, "the whole police programme will be jeopardized and security conditions in a number of areas might deteriorate".

He acknowledged that while not all the objectives originally set for the operation were ultimately met, the UN would "claim major accomplishments, especially when one recalls that in late 1992 3,000 men, women and children were dying daily of starvation and this tragedy was ended by the international relief effort".

In a frank examination of UN efforts to bring about national reconciliation, he concluded: "If the political will to achieve a durable compromise was lacking, the responsibility lies with the Somali leadership:'

As important political achievements, the report cited two major conferences held with UN assistance and support--the National Reconciliation Conference of March 1993 that yielded the Addis Ababa Agreement, and consultations a year later leading to the Nairobi Declaration. Those documents continue to serve as the major frame of reference in the Somali parties' discussions of a political settlement, he said.

The report also pointed to UN-sponsored interclan reconciliation meetings at the local level. These resulted in agreements that contributed to the prevention of interclan fighting, largely limiting the area of conflict to south Mogadishu, it was stated.

Also, starting in February 1992, the UN was able to arrange a series of ceasefires which, despite sporadic, sometimes intense flare-ups, were effective in achieving and maintaining relative peace in Somalia as a whole, it asserted.

Recent agreements, tempered hope

Lending support to this view, recent discussions among the parties in early 1995 led to the signing of four political agreements which the Somali Salvation Alliance (SSA) and the Somali National Alliance (SNA) have been implementing in a joint effort.

The 28 March report stated that this marked the first time since the March 1994 Nairobi declaration/hat those two groups' leaders--Ali Mahdi and General Aidid, respectively--had put their signatures to a peace agreement.

In the 21 February agreement, the two sides accepted the principle of power-sharing, pledged to seek the presidency through democratic elections, and agreed to resolve disputes peacefully.

They also agreed, on 23 February, to establish two joint committees to manage the operations of the Mogadishu airport and seaport. Following as March agreement, the seaport opened on 9 March under the administration of the joint committees.

While noting that such signs must be viewed cautiously, the Secretary-General also suggested that "these indications of a possible rapprochement between them may justify the hope that the Somali leaders will find the strength and the courage to pursue a more productive peace process in the coming weeks':

He had instructed Mr. Gbeho to remain in Nairobi to monitor the situation and coordinate continuing UN humanitarian activities in Somalia. A decision about the level and mandate of the UN political presence in Mogadishu could be expected by mid-April, but his inclination was to maintain a small political office there consisting of a representative with a small support staff. he said.

Focus: The Three 'Rs'

He also stressed that the focus for UN agencies and organizations, as well as NGOs, would be on "rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction': Humanitarian aid and assistance in achieving national reconciliation "must go together", he added.

The new challenge for the UN and its humanitarian partners would be "to sustain this progress in Somalia's conflict-ridden environment and, concomitantly, to move forward to rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction': Mr. Boutros-Ghali asserted.

He informed Council members that he had established a UN Coordination Team (UNCT), which would interact with national and international NGOs and the donor community to ensure coherence among the activities of these operational partners.

In a cautious note, the Secretary-General stressed that Somalia "will remain vulnerable to future disasters". Humanitarian agencies expected for the foreseeable future to continue to operate in a context of political unrest and uncertainty.

In a related effort, the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs on 22 December 1994 launched a UN-consolidated inter-agency appeal to meet ongoing humanitarian needs in Somalia. The appeal covers a half-year period that began January. Agencies requested $70 million for their activities for the first six months.

In a 14 February press conference at Headquarters shortly after his return from a visit to Somalia, Under-Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Kofi Annan said he hoped the withdrawal of UNOSOM II would serve as "a big wake-up call for the leaders and that they will finally have the courage to compromise and seize this opportunity to bring peace and stability to their country': Much of what had been achieved in Somalia in the past three years remained vulnerable to the threat of renewed conflict, he warned.

RELATED ARTICLE: The UN and Somalia

1992

3 March Following clan dashes, famine and collapse of government services, cease-fire agreement signed.

24 April UNOSOM I established to monitor cease-fire, coordinate humanitarian assistance and ensure security of relief supplies (resolution 751).

3 December UNITAF enforcement operation authorized to establish secure environment for humanitarian assistance (resolution 794).

9 December UNITAF arrives in Mogadishu.

1993

15-28 March Addis Ababa Conference on national reconciliation resolves to end armed conflict. 26 March UNOSOM II authorized with enforcement powers, including disarmament (resolution 814).

4 May UNOSOM II takes over from UNITAF.

6 June Day after the deaths of 25 Pakistani soldiers in a south Mogadishu ambush, Security Council authorizes "all necessary measures" against those responsible (resolution 837).

3 October In operation to apprehend 24 suspects, 18 American soldiers are killed, 75 wounded. The United States announces its withdrawal by 31 March 1994.

16 November Council authorizes a Commission of Inquiry to investigate armed attacks on UNOSOM II personnel (resolution 885).

1994

24 March Somali factions set National Reconciliation Conference for 15 May to elect President and Vice-Presidents, and appoint Prime Minister, but it is repeatedly postponed.

30 September Council requests intensified preparations for possible withdrawal (resolution 946).

4 November UNOSOM II extended for final period until 31 March 1995 (resolution 951).

1995

3 March With support from "United Shield': UNOSOM II withdrawal completed safely.

6 April Council declares UN will continue to help Somalis achieve a political settlement and provide humanitarian services.