UK announces further support for national security reform in Somalia

The Federal Government of Somalia and the Presidents of Somalia’s Federal Member States have agreed a historic political agreement, to integrate regional and federal forces into a coherent National Security Architecture capable of gradually taking on lead responsibility for providing security.

According to a statement from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence, the UK is playing a leading role in international support for improved security in Somalia, and will now provide an additional £21 million of funding.

The statement maintained that security will be a key theme of the London Somalia Conference on 11 May, which will bring together the new Somali Federal Government, Federal Member States and international partners to accelerate progress and to agree the new international partnership needed to keep Somalia on track towards increased peace and prosperity by 2020.

Somalia will continue to need substantial support across security, political reform and economic and social development to secure and build on the progress it has made over the last five years.

The news comes at a time when half the Somali population are without reliable access to food. The conference will help step up the international response to the ongoing drought and humanitarian need.

Continued international support is needed to prevent widespread famine, without which the political and security progress Somalia has made since 2012 could be set back.