IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 859 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 22, 2009 Mr. Payne submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing strong support for lasting peace, democracy, and economic recovery in Somalia.

Whereas following the collapse of central authority in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, rival Somali groups have engaged in armed struggle, committed serious atrocities against innocent civilians, and obstructed the delivery of humanitarian assistance; Whereas more than 500,000 people died from violence, starvation, disease, and many more have been displaced from their homes over the past decade; Whereas in October 2002, the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) launched a peace process designed to end factional fighting in Somalia, led by the Government of Kenya and in September 2003, the parties agreed on a Transitional National Charter (TNC); Whereas in June 2006, the forces of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) took control of Mogadishu; Whereas during the 6-month rule by the ICU, Mogadishu became relatively peaceful, but efforts to bring peace did not lead to sustained progress; Whereas on December 28, 2006, Ethiopian troops captured Mogadishu with little resistance from the ICU; Whereas the Ethiopian intervention led to more chaos and instability in Somalia; Whereas humanitarian, political, and security conditions deteriorated across south-central Somalia; Whereas in the past 3 years, more than 22,000 civilians have been killed, an estimated 1,100,000 people displaced, and 476,000 Somalis have fled to neighboring countries; Whereas in November 2008, the Ethiopian Government announced that its forces would pull out of Somalia by the end of 2008 and in January 2009, Ethiopian forces completed their withdrawal from Somalia; Whereas in June 2008, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS), a group dominated by members of the ICU, signed an agreement in Djibouti mediated by United Nations Special Envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdullah; Whereas the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), made up of peacekeeping troops from Uganda and Burundi, has done and continues to do remarkable work to secure a just peace in Somalia; Whereas, on September 17, 2009, the terrorist group Al-Shabaab carried out a suicide attack against AMISOM forces in Mogadishu, injuring and killing over 35 peacekeepers, including the Deputy Force Commander of AMISOM; Whereas in September 2009, United States Armed Forces killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, an al-Qaeda terrorist responsible for the suicide bombing in Mombasa in 2002 and a suspect in the bombings of the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and several other foreign terrorists in Mogadishu; Whereas in January 2009, the Somali Parliament elected the leader of the ARS, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad as President; Whereas in February 2009, President Ahmad appointed Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as Prime Minister; Whereas civilians, humanitarian workers, journalists, and human rights advocates have been the primary targets of the insurgent groups; Whereas a number of Somali journalists covering the crisis in Somalia have been assassinated by insurgents, while dozens of humanitarian and human rights advocates have been killed or injured; Whereas the terrorist group Al-Shabaab continues its terror campaign, with the support of al-Qaeda and other foreign jihadists; and Whereas the TFG continues to fight these terrorist and extremist groups and is committed to establishing a terror-free and democratic Somalia: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)expresses strong support for the Transitional Federal Government (TGF); (2)commends the dedicated humanitarian and human rights workers and the sacrifices they continue to make to help the people of Somalia; (3)recognizes the valuable work and sacrifice of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission; (4)recognizes and commends the mediation efforts of the Government of Djibouti and the United Nations Special Envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdullah; (5)calls on the Obama Administration to provide assistance in education, health care, infrastructure, and security sectors to Somalia; (6)strongly urges the Obama Administration to support civil society, human rights groups, and the independent media to lay the foundation for a democratic and peaceful Somalia; (7)strongly recommends that the Obama Administration appoint an ambassador and commence work on opening up a United States Embassy, once security conditions improve; (8)urges the Obama Administration to recognize the TFG and allow the opening of an official Somali Embassy in Washington, DC; (9)calls on the Government of Somaliland to respect the rule of law and hold free and fair elections without further delay; and (10)recommends that the governments of Puntland and Somaliland work together with the TFG to contain the threats posed by terrorist and extremist groups and work toward a mutually acceptable political arrangement.