Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the initiatives being taken by the EU in order to be of assistance in the restoration of civil society in Somalia. [16826/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I remain very concerned at the situation in Somalia. The country has been without an effective government since 1991, and despite an initial period of stability after Ethiopian troops and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces defeated the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in December 2006, the situation has worsened in recent months. Fighting in Mogadishu since October has prompted hundreds of thousands to flee the capital, adding to the humanitarian crisis. In total, approximately one million people have been displaced since the start of 2007, while up to two million need humanitarian aid.

Re-establishing security and the rule of law remains a major challenge. The first troops from an African Union-mandated peace support force (AMISOM) were deployed to Mogadishu in March 2007 but with less than a quarter of the planned 8,000 troops on the ground, AMISOM has not been able to bring any significant measure of stability. AMISOM's current mandate runs until next August and some consideration has taken place regarding a UN peace-keeping mission to succeed it. However, UN Secretary General Ban has made it clear to the Security Council that, due to the prevailing political and security situation, the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to Somalia is not a realistic option for the time being.

The newly appointed Prime Minister in the TFG, Nur Hassan Hussein, has a background in humanitarian organisations, having previously worked for the Red Crescent, and has stated his willingness to engage in discussion with the Islamic opposition. Contacts have already been initiated with members of the opposition based in Asmara. The Prime Minister has had a series of meetings with EU officials, including Development Commissioner Michel and HR Solana. At these meetings he has re-iterated his desire to continue his work towards an inclusive reconciliation with the political opposition.

An EU local troika of Heads of Missions in Nairobi visited Mogadishu in March and met with members of the government, the opposition, and civil society groups. The troika also met with an umbrella organisation of all Somali Non-State actors (SOSCENSA) formed in Entebbe, Uganda in March 2008. The objective of these meetings was to express the EU's support for the reconciliation process between the TFG and all opposition groups, and underline the EU's commitment to this process.

Prime Minister Hussein has thanked the EU for their diplomatic engagement in Somalia and expressed his desire that this engagement continue. The EU will continue to extend whatever assistance it can to support the promotion of internal dialogue and national reconciliation within Somalia. The EU is currently the largest aid donor to Somalia, with over €60 million contributed in 2007 alone. Ireland, for its part, will continue its own significant humanitarian engagement in Somalia which since the start of 2006 has involved the provision of over €15 million in humanitarian assistance plus a further €2.6 million in support to civil society.