UK Foreign Policy on Somalia
Mark Simmonds; MP for Boston and Skegness asked the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Somalia. The response from the British Government was given by the Rt. Hon Ian Pearson, MP. The Rt. Hon Ian Pearson said:Â
Somalia has had no effective Government since 1991. We are supporting the establishment of Transitional Federal Institutions to restore peace and security, but in the interim most of Somalia continues to be controlled by armed clans and factions which frequently resort to violence. We therefore advise against all travel to Somalia because of the terrorist threat, the dangerous level of criminal activity and internal insecurity. Westerners and those working for western organisations have been targeted in recent shootings.Â
The Rt. Hon Mark Simmonds also asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activities of (a) al-Qaeda and (b) Islamic fundamentalists in Somalia.Â
The Rt. Hon Ian Pearson replied by saying:Â
The absence of effective Government in Somalia creates a vacuum in which terrorists, such as, al-Qaeda, operate, threatening the region and the wider international community. Islamic fundamentalists are seeking to create an Islamic State in Somalia. We have been closely engaged in the Somali national reconciliation conference and the subsequent political process. We continue to work closely with the UN and other members of the international community to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement and a return to good governance in Somalia, through the establishment of Transitional Federal Institutions and a return to democracy.Â
Source: The British GovernmentÂ