Somalia Needs Secure Funds Before Troops Can Leave, UN Says

The Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers on Wednesday (January 23rd) called on Somalia to submit a detailed proposal of its stabilisation plan for the council's next meeting sometime in the coming six weeks, IGAD said in a press release.

In a meeting attended by Somali Foreign Affairs Minister Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Aadan, the council said that Somalia must work to build a cohesive national security force under a single national command, and called for an enhanced mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia until such a structure is put into place.

The IGAD Council of Ministers also urged the Somali government to prepare a proposal for its request to have the United Nations arms embargo lifted.

The council said the government should build "legitimate and representative local governments and security structures in all areas recovered from al-Shabaab, which should take place in all regions of Somalia, especially in south-central Somalia region".

The council's discussion on Somali affairs also included praise for Somalia's recent political progress and emphasised the importance of continued IGAD support for Somali development.