UNITED NATIONS
\nSomalia has won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council – hailed as a significant step for the war-torn nation. It will be the first time the country, which descended into civil war more than 30 years ago, has held the position since the 1970s.
\nThe top table at the UN determines how the organisation should respond to conflicts around the world. Analysts say Somalia\u2019s battle to bring an end to its turmoil and its fight against Islamist militants will help inform the UN\u2019s decisions.
\nThere are 10 rotating non-permanent members on the council, along with the five permanent members – the US, the UK, France, China and Russia. To win a seat, which can carry influence in world affairs, a country needs to secure the support of at least two thirds of the General Assembly delegations that are voting.
\nSomalia was elected along with Denmark, Greece, Pakistan and Panama to serve for two years from January next year. It bagged the seat allocated to the East Africa region unopposed and went on to win 179 votes in a secret ballot in the 193-member General Assembly.
\nFollowing the vote, Somalia\u2019s Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Fiqi, who led a delegation of Somali officials to New York, said his country would now take up \u201cits position on the global stage\u201d. \u201cWe stand ready to play a vital role in promoting peace and security in the world,\u201d he said.
\nThe ousting of Mohamed Siad Barre as Somalia\u2019s president in 1991 sparked a decades-long civil war between rival clan warlords. Over the years, the UN and African Union (AU) have played key roles in helping to re-establish a central authority.
\nSomalia has also been battling the Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which still controls large parts of the country.
\nThe al-Qaeda-allied fighters want to topple the central government and establish their own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
\nIn recent months, the government has intensified its fight against the group as foreign troops withdraw and pass the baton on to the Somali army.
\nJames Swan, the UN secretary general\u2019s acting special representative for Somalia, said the country\u2019s experiences placed it in a unique position to contribute to the Security Council\u2019s deliberations on international peace and security.
\n\u201cSomalia has come a long way over the past three decades on its path to peace, prosperity and security,\u201d Mr Swan said.
\nSecurity expert Samira Gaid told UK-based Warpod podcast that Somalia was \u201cno longer the poster child for problems in the Horn of Africa\u201d.
\nThe UN Security Council has significant responsibilities and can authorise peacekeeping operations and impose international sanctions.
\nLast December, it lifted a longstanding arms embargo on Somalia.
\nNon-permanent members of the council are allocated by region, but unlike the five permanent members, they do not have the power of veto.
\nThere are currently three non-permanent African states on the council – Algeria, Sierra Leone and Mozambique, which Somalia will be replacing.
\nThe AU has been pushing for the continent to have two permanent representatives on the council and an additional two seats as non-permanent representatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS Somalia has won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council – hailed as a significant step for the war-torn nation. It will be the first time the country, which descended into civil war more than 30 years ago, has held the position since the 1970s. The top table at the UN […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-411564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n