Somali Prime Minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon, held discussions with the EU’s Director of Cooperation for Sub-Saharan Africa, Ms. Francesca Mosca, at Villa Somalia on Tuesday April 16.

Discussions focused on ways to strengthening their security partnership and bilateral relations. Ms Mosca gave details of the EU’s new framework for assistance to the Somalia government.

Somali’s primer on his part welcomed the EU's commitment to provide €22 million in direct budget support to his government. The money is to be used for public finance management and public administration. He noted the value of direct support to government and line ministries was preferable than support through NGOs which bypassed the government and did not enhance capacity.

The Prime Minister also updated Ms. Mosca on the government’s rejection of the former “4.5 tribal system” for political representation and participation. He emphasized that the government recognized the role of women in society and the need to give them a fair share in government.

He noted that there were "two ministers out of 10 and for the first time a Deputy Prime Minister is a woman", adding that "we never forget our obligation to the Somali women". He underlined the close attention given by the government to human rights as demonstrated by the launching of the Independent Task Force on Human Rights which has the brief to investigate sexual violence against women and the killing of journalists. The Prime Minister also briefed Ms Mosca on his recent successful ‘Listening Tour’ across Somalia and his Regional Tour of East Africa. He said security was at the heart of both initiatives and this was something partners, such as the EU, could support. He noted the dramatic decline in piracy this year 2013 which he said reflected political, security and economic improvements on land.

Ms Mosca on her part stressed that the EU was continuing to stand by Somalia at this critical time, and expressed the EU's readiness to help continue to build the capacity of Somali security, in addition to its continuing support for AMISOM operations.

From Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs