Somalia – a key priority

The London Conference on Somalia is an important event and we welcome the Government’s decision to host it. But it is important to see this conference, and the events and developments immediately leading up to it, within the broader context of the decades of conflict, poverty and violence that Somalia, and the Horn of Africa more widely, have endured.

Somalia’s crisis, both in the north and south of the country, did not start with the poor rains of 2010, nor even did it begin with the collapse of the Somali dictatorship in 1991.

The tragedy in Somalia is the inevitability and repetition of the cycles of despair from which to date it has been unable to escape and it is right therefore that Government has confirmed it continues, as Labour did in Government, to see Somalia as a key priority for British foreign and development policy in the years ahead.

2011 has been a crucial year for Somalia.

Al-Shabab suffered a number of military setbacks which have seen them pushed out of parts of the southern border areas of Somalia and most of Mogadishu, creating an opportunity for the government to strengthen its hold in these crucial areas. In the second half of the year, famine struck six regions in southern Somalia, and although the UN has now thankfully declared that the famine officially over, the situation remains fragile and millions could still die if international support is not maintained.

Together, the changing situation within the country provides an opportunity – but not more than an opportunity – because the causes of state failure in Somali lie much deeper than the recently changing dynamics on the ground.

The structural failures of widespread violence, endemic corruption, weak governance and a state unable to maintain a monopoly over the use of force, in turn contribute to desperate poverty, the rise of non-state terror and violence, and the failure to deliver basic goods and services by a government.

And it is vital therefore that the conference, and the work that follows from it, address not simply the symptoms but the causes of Somalia’s decline; at root a profound failure of politics and government.

Each of us in inevitably brings our own perspective and experience to this debate. For myself, this involves not only being an MP representing a constituent – a merchant seaman – taken hostage for some time by Somali pirates, but also three years as International Development Secretary in the previous government working to find ways to deliver aid and support development in one of the most challenging environments on earth during some of the most desperate years of violence and famine that the country experienced.

I am proud that under Labour, aid to Somalia increased from just over £3m in 2002 to over £30m by 2009 which meant we were able to achieve limited, but real, progress in dealing with some of the most acute challenges facing Somalia at the time – including helping to deliver basic health care, treatment for malnutrition and improved clean water and sanitation facilities.

However, notwithstanding these sustained efforts, progress was limited.

This was not a failure of will but a testament to the scale of the challenge we faced then, and that remains today.

Alongside the vital need to tackle the humanitarian crisis engulfing Somalia, there must be a renewed focus on political reconciliation and governance reform. Not least because establishing effective political structures will also be a crucial step towards enabling the people of Somalia to engage with the ongoing demands and struggles for representation and self determination that communities within the country have long been calling for.

It is right that at today’s conference we acknowledge the relatively peaceful and stable situation that prevails in Somaliland and that the UK has a vital role to play in supporting economic development there.

In government we were clear in acknowledging the unique and distinct character of Somaliland and Puntland and continue to defend their right to appropriate representation. This important task of securing this legitimate representation must not be divorced from the broader task of developing the inclusive national political structures that are a necessary part of Somalia’s development into a stable and secure democracy.

It is clear Somalia today stands at a crucial juncture in its history. But what is also obvious is that the problems of Somalia will not be solved by a single conference – but require a continued process of engagement and reform.

It is right that we must now to seek to seize this opportunity to make real progress and deliver a better and more secure future for the people of Somalia.

The challenge is one that takes years and decades, not weeks and months to tackle. But this should harden, not weaken our resolve.

Douglas Alexander is the shadow foreign secretary.