UNITED NATIONS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday welcomed the recent progress on the development of a plan to transfer security responsibilities in Somalia from the African Union mission (AMISOM) to the country's own institutions.
In a presidential statement, the council said the transition plan is "conditions-based" and "with clear target dates," and called for the implementation of Somalia's security architecture agreement to provide the foundation for a successful transition.
In this regard, the statement urged the Somali federal government and federal member states to prioritize efforts, including by integrating and providing federal support to regional forces.
It also called on international partners to support the process.
The transition plan was endorsed by the African Union Peace and Security Council on April 30, 2018, and by international partners at the Somalia Security High-Level Meeting in Brussels on May 2, 20l8.
The council noted that AMISOM's role in enabling the transition to Somali-led security will be critical, saying it looks forward to seeing how the mission should be configured to support the process.
In addition, the council noted with concern the recent fighting in the Sool region of northern Somalia, urging an immediate cessation of hostilities.
It also expressed concern at the ongoing threat posed by militant group A1-Shabaab, reaffirming its support for a comprehensive approach to security in Somalia consistent with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
