(Mogadishu, Somalia, January, 29, 2012) A spokesperson for the office of the president of Somalia today commented on front page media focus on the amount of UK expenditure in Somalia, quoted as being in the annual amount of £220 million.The spokesperson stated that the determination of the levels of such expenditure is of course not a matter for Somalia to determine.
However, he noted that this amount—equivalent in Somalia to some £22 per capita on an annual basis—was understood to be committed principally for the purposes of risk mitigation [in the context of potential terrorism export] in addition to humanitarian aid.
The spokesperson stated that it is a matter for others to value such targeted benefits and to make policy determinations accordingly.
Issues relating to corruption and the transparency of aid expenditures were very significant, but not new, and had been under very active consideration for some time.
The spokesperson stated that “one of the issues canvassed again at this week’s conference was the establishment of a joint financial management board comprising international membership, the purpose being precisely to target and deal with such issues”.
As had been widely acknowledged over the many months of discussion of establishment of such a board, the Somali president and government was entirely supportive of such an initiative, giving donor countries the opportunity to offer advice and seek information on a formal basis, and subject to unanimous agreement, to make binding determinations in respect of controls over international donor funds contributed to the normalization of Somalia.
Finally, the spokesperson stated that, in respect of the reference to [presumably] Mogadishu as a ‘terror capital’, clearly the relevant media are carelessly and irresponsibly well out of touch.
Mogadishu today is rapidly returning to a semblance of normality, with visual evidence of a rapid revival in private sector activities and an increasing presence of foreign nationals assisting in humanitarian, rebuilding and normalization processes.
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