Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2021 to Question 91893 on Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations, following the extension of African Union Mission in Somalia's mandate by the UN Security Council on 21 December 2021, what steps she will take to ensure progress is made on an effective future international security mission for Somalia prior to the new mandate’s expiry on 31 March 2022.

We support the temporary extension of the UN Security Council (UNSC) mandate for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until 31 March. As 'pen-holder', the UK has urged all stakeholders to use this three month rollover period to engage transparently and in good faith to reach consensus on the way ahead. It is essential that the UN and the African Union (AU) produce their joint proposal on the strategic objectives, size and composition of a reconfigured AU-led mission rapidly, and within necessary timelines, to ensure that there can be a mutually agreeable UNSC mandate that supports security transition in Somalia. In the coming months, the UK will participate in a range of bilateral and international meetings with the AU, UN, Federal Government of Somalia, Troop Contributing Countries, EU and others to encourage progress towards these goals.