UN Security Council extends anti-piracy mandate for three months as Somalia insists UN body 'no longer useful'

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UN Security Council extends anti-piracy mandate for three months as Somalia insists UN body 'no longer useful'

The UN appointed body tasked with fighting piracy off the Somali waters will end its mandate in February next year following Somalia's withdrawal from the group as the Horn of Africa nation seeks to manage its own waters.

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The UN appointed body tasked with fighting piracy off the Somali waters will end its mandate in February next year following Somalia's withdrawal from the group as the Horn of Africa nation seeks to manage its own waters.

Somalia’s permanent representative to the UN Abukar Osman told the UN Security Council on Friday that Somalia was no longer accepting the role of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS,) noting the UN body had achieved its mandate and not anymore aligned to the federal government’s priorities.

"We firmly believe that the Contact Group is neither inclusive nor useful at this stage, and thus withdraw last year our support and participation in any of the Group’s future activities indefinitely,” Osman said.

He added that ‘We gave consent for a technical rollover of 3 months to allow for our transition to bilateral maritime cooperation framework within Somali national waters.”

The resolution on Friday authorized – for a further three-month period – States and regional organizations cooperating with Somali authorities, to fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off Somalia, "for which advance notification has been provided by Somali authorities to the Secretary-General”.

The Contact Group was formed came into force in January 2009 following resolution 1851 (2008) in response to increasing cases of piracy off the coast of Somalia.