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Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Thursday, 30 June 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 14 July 2022. It was answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Wednesday, 13 July 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Somalia: Al Shabaab

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the government of Somalia to end its conflict with the Al-Shabaab Islamist insurgency.

Answer

As we seek to keep the UK and our interests at home and overseas safe from the threat of terrorism, tackling Al-Shabaab is one of our top counter-terrorism priorities. With international allies, regional partners, and with the Federal Government of Somalia and our international partners, we are pursuing a comprehensive effort to address the Al-Shabaab threat and the conditions through which Al-Shabaab has become entrenched in Somalia, as well as working with the new government in Somalia to improve governance, economic reform, security and justice, and humanitarian resilience in the country.

The UK continues to play an important role in strengthening Somalia's security capabilities and supporting the transition towards Somali-led security. The UK has provided training to the Somali National Army and Somali Police, and provided technical advice to civilian institutions to help improve operational effectiveness. As penholder at the UN we helped to secure authorisation for a reconfigured African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. We are supporting efforts to weaken Al-Shabaab and restrict its financial flows, including through UN sanctions.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1394
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Armed conflict Somalia al Shabaab
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk