Study Guide 2014 Final

8/11/2019 Study Guide 2014 Final

1/16

The African Union

Assembly, ShortDiplomacy Course 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Topic: Somalian Piracy

African Union

Piracy in Somalia

Civil War

AMISOM

Current Situation

Questions a Resolution Must Answer

Bloc Positions

Suggestions for Further Research

Position Paper Requirements

Sample Position Paper

Closing remarks

Bibliography


2/16

The African Union Assembly, Short Diplomacy Course 2014

2

Dear Delegates,

Allow me to welcome you all to the

Short Diplomacy Course 2014 held by

Depatment of International Relations

UniversitasAirlangga. My name is Adriana

and Im a sophomore in International

Relations in UniversitasAirlangga.

Outside academic activity,Im one of

UniversitasAirlanggasdelegation for

Asia Pacific Model United Nations

Conference 2014,

UniversitasAirlanggasdelegation for

Harvard Model United Nations

Conference 2015, anda member of

International RelationsStudent Union

External Division 2014-2015.

Model United Nations usually takes

United Nations bodies for its committees.

However, this year we would like to

introduce SDCs first ever African Union

Assembly. Taking into consideration that

every countries is equal or theoretically. We

would like to emphasize the importance to

underrate developing nations. Our

international forum will invites not onlyAfrican nations but, countries that effected

by this issue. This AU Assembly only

consists of countries involved in AMISOM

since this is a matter of great emergency that

needs to be addressed. Furthermore, these

nations will decide actions toward Somalian

piracy to ensure both economic and political

stability. Having said that, international

forum must seek possible solutions for not

only piracy issue but, also the downfall of

Somalia as a state. On the ground that it is

duty of international forum to prevents

economic and political crisis as well as

humanitarian disaster.

I hope you are as excited as I am for

SDCs first ever African Union, and I

cant wait to see you all this week!

Sincerely,

Adriana Rondonuwu

Director,African Union

[email protected]

+62 82131044046


3/16


3

AFRICAN UNION

Director: Adriana Rondonuwu

Introduction

In essence a Short Diplomacy

Course is a compressed version of a

Model United Nations. The cases

involved are usually not as complex as

those presented in a fully-fledged MUN.

The duration is also shorter, three days

being the longest. This is so that those

new to the concept of a simulated

international forum can get accustomed

to what it is, what goes on in it, and to an

extent, what the actual represented forum

does in real life

Piracy in Somalia would be one

part of the overarching case presented in

this years SDC. This issue demands an

international forum deliberation since it

creates potential harm to national

security of other countries. The Civil

War in Somalia makes up the second

part of the overarching case in this yearsSDC, and arguably the root of all

Somalias current problems Somalia is

also embroiled in a civil war between its

government and Al-Shabaab militants.

Study guide will only assist you to

basic understanding of the issue,

however it is crucial for delegates to do

deeper research regarding the issue. Thequestion must answer will assist you to

points that the forum should take into a

consideration.

AFRICAN UNION

The forum for this years SDC will be

the African Union. As the name

suggests, the AU is a union of all

African nations and states sans

Morocco, it is currently headquartered

in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Borne out

of Muammar Ghaddafis idea of a

forum for all Africa, the AU was

established in 26 May 2001 and

launched in 9 July 2002, its objectives

are:

1.

To achieve greater unity and

solidarity between the Africancountries and Africans.

2. To defend the sovereignty,

territorial integrity and


4/16


4

independence of its Member

States.

3. To accelerate the political and

social-economic integration of

the continent.

4.

To promote and defend African

common positions on issues of

interest to the continent and its

peoples.

5.

To encourage international

cooperation, taking due account

of the Charter of the United

Nations and the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights.

6.

To promote peace, security, and

stability on the continent.

7.

To promote democratic

principles and institutions,

popular participation and good

governance.

8.

To promote and protect human

and peoples' rights in

accordance with the African

Charter on Human and Peoples'

Rights and other relevant

human rights instruments.

9. To establish the necessary

conditions which enable the

continent to play its rightful

role in the global economy and

in international negotiations.

10.

To promote sustainable

development at the economic,

social and cultural levels as

well as the integration of

African economies.

11.To promote co-operation in all

fields of human activity to raise

the living standards of African

peoples.

12.

To coordinate and harmonise

the policies between the

existing and future Regional

Economic Communities for the

gradual attainment of the

objectives of the Union.

13.

To advance the development of

the continent by promoting

research in all fields, in

particular in science and

technology.

14.

To work with relevant

international partners in the


5/16


5

eradication of preventable

diseases and the promotion of

good health on the continent.

Since its inception, the African

Union has helped in facilitating

dialogue between African nations,

ensuring the timely and relatively

efficient response to problems

experienced by its member states, and

meet threats to the African people, as

has been seen in AMISOM. The

African Union was chosen as this

years committee because it

represented the less seen stages of

international relations. Many today

still consider the Africa as a

backwards, underdeveloped continent

rife with war and humanitarian issues.

While conflict is a fact of life in many

parts of Africa, it would be incorrect

to assume that all of it is

underdeveloped. Throughout history

Africa has seen the rise and fall of

many prominent kingdoms and

empires that have left their marks on

humanity, including but not limited to

the Ancient Egyptians, the Zulu, the

Ayyubid dynasty and the Songhai

Empire. While not as prominently

framed in media as the United States

of America, the Russian Federation,

or the state of Israel, the countries of

Africa, and indeed the continent itself,

represents one of the few relatively

untapped reserves of natural and

human resources on the planet, and

one of the few markets still relatively

untainted by the modern world

trade, though that is likely to change

soon.

PIRACY IN SOMALIA

Piracy in Somalia began when

foreign ships entered Somali waters

without permission. During the days

of the transitional government, the

country was in chaos, the government

could do nothing to stop these foreign

ships as their navy has beeneffectively disbanded due to the toll

the civil war was taking on them,

which will be explained further in the

next headings. Without the navy,


6/16


6

Somali fishermen were bullied out of

the waters where they have fished, the

source of their likelihoods. Taking the

law into their own hands, bands of

Somali fishermen retaliated. Some

formed ad hoc groups, calling

themselves coast guards and warded

off foreign ships. Other, more

opportunistic Somali, armed

themselves and boarded these ships,

demanding ransom. Over time, what

started out as a form of vigilante

justice evolved into a lucrative

pirating enterprise.Depending on how

powerful he is, a Somali pirate may

rake in thousands and up to millions

of dollars worth of ransom money.

Somali pirates generally refrain from

harming their captives, as damaged

goods do not fetch a high ransom

price, and may lead to retaliation from

the hostages home country. Neither

do these pirates abscond with the

goods aboard the ships they attack, as

generally their targets are large, slow

moving ships such as long haul cargo

vessels and oil tankers, whereas they

ride them down on small, fast motor

boats.

Thus far, countries such as the

United States of America, Great

Britain, Germany, China, and India

(to name a few) have naval assets in

place to safeguard their interests, and

they are not without their successes.

However, the fight against piracy is

very unorthodox. For starters, it is

extremely difficult to discern which

boat is loaded with pirates, and which

are just manned by fishermen, as they

use regular boats. Existing naval

deployments already cost millions of

dollars to the navies involved insafeguarding Somali waters. Ships are

not eager to enter or leave Somali

territory without a naval escort, and

there isnt always a ship ready to lend

protection. Those pirates successfully

persecuted and brought to justice are

also still able to wriggle their way out

of jail time. Members of larger piracy

syndicates have the funds to bribe

officials and hire defense attorneys to


7/16


7

free their members. They also have

informants in the major ports of

Somalia, effectively this gives the

various pirate gangs the information

of every ship that comes into and goes

out of Somali waters.

CIVIL WAR

Somalis and Australian Army soldiers

wait near the loading zone of a US

Marine CH-53 Sea Stallion delivering

Australian wheat

The Civil War in Somalia

makes up the second part of the

overarching case in this years SDC,

and arguably the root of all Somalias

current problems Somalia is also

embroiled in a civil war between its

government and Al-Shabaab

militants. This being part of a series

of violent upheavals in the country,

where it changed names, regimes, and

leaders several times over the course

of two decades. It started with the fall

of Somali dictator Major General Said

Barre. The United Somali Congress,

largest of the contending rebel groups,

overthrew Barres socialist regime

and the new government moved to

become more democratic. Thus the

Somali Transitional Government was

formed, which will eventually

consolidate itself as the Federal

Somali Government. However, rebel

groups such as the Islamic Courts

Union, the local branch of Al-Qaeda,

and Al-Shabaab have continually

challenged and destabilized Somalia.

Their own capital, Mogadishu, was

reclaimed after a series of hard won

battles between the militants and a

joint force of Somali and Ethiopian

soldiers, in 2006. In turn, that sparked

several United Nations peace keeping

missions, and the AU sanctioning

AMISOM to aid the Somali

government in their effort to re-

stabilize their country. As of 2014, the


8/16


8

Federal Somali Government, with the

aid of AMISOM and countries such

as the United States and China, has

gained the initiative against Al-

Shabaab forces, though at significant

cost in both funds and manpower.

During the periods of instability, an

arms embargo was imposed upon

Somalia, as at the time, the Somali

military was in chaos, and the

loyalties of their servicemen were put

in question. This has played a part in

stunting Somali armed forces

development in the era of the federal

government, and why they need help

from other countries.

AMISOM

Search and seizure team members

from the guided-missile cruiser USS

Vella Gulf close in to apprehend

suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden

February 12, 2009. (Jason R.

Zalasky/AFP/Getty Images)

The African Union Mission in

Somalia, or AMISOM, is an ongoing

regional peacekeeping mission

mandated by the African Union and

operates with the backing and

blessing of the United Nations.

Formed by the African Unions Peace

and Security Council on 19th January

2007 with an initial six month

mandate, the missions main

objectives are regional peacekeeping,

aiding the Somali government andSomali National Army, and contribute

to the rebuilding of Somalia into an

effective, productive nation. Countries

that contribute (including but not

limited to Nigeria, Uganda, and

Burundi) have committed soldiers to

aid in the fight against the militants,

and Since its conception, AMISOMs

six month mandate has been

continually extended by six months,


9/16


9

the latest being in late February 2014.

Though under the auspices of the AU,

foreign countries such as the United

States have given provisional support

in the form of troop training and

logistical backing, and the missions

mandate is reviewed every six months

by the United Nations Security

Council.

AMISOM was preceded by the

Inter-Governmental Authority on

Development (IGAD) Peace Support

Mission to Somalia or IGASOM

which was a planned Inter-

Governmental authority on

development protection and trainingmission in Somalia approved by the

African Union and the UNSC in

September 2006. Originally IGASOM

was proposed for immediate

implementation in March 2005 to

provide peacekeeping forces for the

latest phase of the Somali Civil War.

At that time, the Islamic Courts Union

(ICU) had not yet taken control of

Mogadishu, and most hopes for

national unity lay with the

Transitional Federal Government

(TFG). However by May 2006, the

political climate in Somalia had

changed drastically. The ICU had

begun a military campaign against the

Alliance for the Restoration of Peace

and Counter Terrorism or ARPCT and

was fighting for control of Mogadishu

in the Second Battle of Mogadishu.

By June, they had established control

of the capital.

IGASOM continued to be

planned out and revised to meet

current conditions, though by July

there were indications of oppositionfrom the ICU, who saw the initiative

as a US-backed, western means to

curb the growth of Islamic movement.

Until December 2006, the UN

Security Council had imposed an

arms embargo on the group, but the

embargo was partially lifted and a

mandate for IGASOM issued in

December 2006. On 20th February

2007, the United Nations Security


10/16


10

Council authorised the African Union

to deploy a peacekeeping mission

with a mandate of six months,

adopting resolution 1744(2007)13.

The aim of the peacekeeping mission

was to support a national

reconciliation congress and requested

a report within 60 days on a possible

United Nations Peacekeeping

Mission. The Security Council had

given a green light to the African

Union to establish a mission in

Somalia for six months, and requested

the Secretary-General to send a

technical Assessment Mission to look

into the possibility of a United

Nations peacekeeping operation

following the African union?s

deployment. Furthermore the council

authorized the African Union mission

to take all measures, as appropriate, to

carry out support for dialogue and

reconciliation by assisting with free

movement, safe passage and

protection of all those involved in a

national reconciliation congress

involving all stakeholders, including

political leaders, clan leaders,

religious leaders and representatives

of civil society (amisom website

origins cite here)

Somalia Today

Somalia Disputed Area

Since its involvement in

Somalia, AMISOM has contributed

greatly in stabilizing the region. Their

mission entails the construction of aid

stations and schools in areas that are

in need of them, aiding government

troops in responding to, locating, and

eliminating Al-Shabaab militant cells,

and general peacekeeping. Though

AMISOM is mainly an army effort,

there have been some unconfirmed

rumors that their mandate be included

to maritime security also. While this

would certainly be welcome news to


11/16


11

the beleaguered Somali government,

the cost-benefit equation will

certainly give contributing countries

pause for thought.

Conclusion

Alarmed by how tengible the harm

caused by Somalian pirates the

delegates expected to come up with

solution to put an end to the

overarching issues. While the problem

is that whether or not there are

feasible solution that fit the outlaws,

international society still consider

between the hard way by deploy

forces to eradicate the pirates and

diplomatic way by negotiating withthe pirates since at any rate they are

still the citizen of Somalian

government.

Questions A Resolution Must

Answer

Is an international security effort a

plausible solution?

Is the strengthening of law and law

enforcement to convict perpetrators of

piracy a plausible solution?

How can the AU safeguard theinterests of economy, which rely on

pathway crossing Somalias gate?

What are the implications of further

piracy in Somali maritime territory?

How can the AU work within Somalia

to rebuild its government once a

conducive stability is achieved?

How should the AU respond to

Somalian piracy?

Should there be a change of stance?

Should there be foreign involvement?

Suggestions For Further Research

There are a variety of sources available to you as you begin your research.

To begin, you can start with the committee actual website (http://www.au.int/en/).


12/16


12

You want to understand your committees mandate (why it was created), powers

(what it can do), and membership (whos init).

Next, in doing research for the country that you represent, the CIA World

Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/) isaar

sem or a ar sn onscaros aser mser o r sht w se

o noh hara aser se mserb mssc , a a or s stance on major

political issues. Wikipedia is also a great website to give you further information

about the topic we are going to discuss. If you are interested in gaining a greater

understanding of whats already been done in Somalia through AMISOM, this

website (http://amisom-au.org/) will be very helpful.

Last but not least, be sure to use speeches and press releases from people in

the executive branch of your countrys current government (President, Prime

Minister, Foreign Minister or Secretary of State, Ambassadors). Start with the

website for your countrys Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Department of State. Since

this committee essence is how well each country member being represented and do

their role proportionately. You could also see The UN Bibliographic Information

System (http://unbisnet.un.org/) that shows you what resolutions your country has

signed or not signed in the past. Look up actual resolutions drafted in those

committees and see what your country has supported. By seeing what has already

been tried in your committee, you can start thinking about new ones that may

innovate or revise solutions that were not effective.

Position Paper Guidelines

Your position paper should only be one page, single-spaced, twelve-point

Times New Roman font. Your committee, topic and country name should be in the

upper right hand corner. The paper should be outlined in three paragraphs.


13/16


13

The first paragraph should consist of the backgrounds issue, your countrys

experience or particular connection to the topic. For instance, how has your

country been affected by the Somalian Piracy?

The second paragraph should discuss your nations policy on the issues, as

supported by relevant national documents. It should also include a short

description of agreements, statements, and lessons learned from your history and

current diplomatic arrangements with relevant nations in this paragraph. Research

for this paragraph could include speeches given by heads of state or ambassadors,

or national studies and policy statements. Given your countrys history, how has

your country acted to improve the situation of the Somalian Piracy crisis in the

past?

The third, final, and most important paragraph is your countrys plan going

forward. Given your history and your policy going forward, what does your

country believe is the best course of action to pursue? This should be a unique

mixture of international work and your countrys personal past and experiences.

These guidelines are meant to focus your research in the places which will

be most productive for committee debate. Understanding your country, however, is

important for creating a plan to undertake on an international level, and I highly

encourage you to conduct your investigations and learning with vigor and

curiosity.

When writing you position paper, remember to always refer as third person.

You are representing your country, not yourself! I will be checking for plagiarism,

so take care when writing. Plagiarism will not be compromised and will result in

disqualification. Any ideas which are not yours need to be referenced. If you are


14/16


14

summarising argument and you dont want to use a direct quote, you can

paraphrase their ideas, but must reference the source. Please submit your position

paper no later than September 12th 07:00pm to [email protected]. Any works

submitted after the time stated and failure to follow the format requirements may

also result in disqualification.

SAMPLE POSITION PAPER

Committee: World Health Organisation

Topic: Eradication of Polio

Country: The Democratic Republic of the Congo

[Paragraph 1 should discuss your countrys history and background of the issue]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as a nation still dealing with the

detrimental affects of the Poliovirus (PV), believes that the eradication of polio is

not only an essential step towards reaching the Millennium goals established in2000, but also an attainable goal in and of itself. Globally, there are only two

regions in which PV is still considered endemic: the Central African and Central

Asian regions. The DRC strongly holds the belief that with concrete, realistic

pledges of aid by all member states and the cooperation of affected- nations

governments with WHO and other UN initiated programmes, the disease can be

eliminated within this generation.

[Paragraph 2 should discuss your countrys policy/treaty on topic] With the WHO

as a leading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the DRC

believes it is essential that all member states of the WHO keep their promises made


15/16


15

at the GPEIs establishment in 1988. Specifically, the DRC laments the increasing

funding gap for the programme, and calls upon all nations, especially the

developed nations, to increase their monetary support of the programme. The DRC

also believes that an obstacle to the goal of eradication is the lack of developed

infrastructure. Therefore, the DRC also pleads to developing nations to continue

and augment their development aid to affected nations so as to eliminate this

hindrance. The DRC feels this is an essential aspect to any resolution passed by the

committee.

[Paragraph 3 should outline solutions and policy proposals] The DRC would also

like to offer itself as a model for a successful implementation of an eradication

programme. No longer endemic within the DRCs borders, PV has decreased due

to the use of National Immunisation Days (NIDs) an effort that has begun in

other African nations, such as Nigeriaand a social mobilisationprogramme. The

promotion of these two elements is also necessary within a resolution. The major

obstacle to the success of these programmes in the DRC was the Second Congo

War (1998-2003), during which 5 of the 11 DRC districts were occupied by

invading forces and much infrastructure was lost. Due to this, the DRC feels that

any resolution passed must contain some sort of reprimand for a nation who

prevents the continuation of any eradication programmed.

Bibliography

www.unicef.org/immunization/index_48412.html

http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliocampaignmonitoring/Co

ngo.aspx
http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliocampaignmonitoring/Congo.aspxhttp://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliocampaignmonitoring/Congo.aspxhttp://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliocampaignmonitoring/Congo.aspxhttp://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliocampaignmonitoring/Congo.aspx


16/16


16

References

1.

https://www.academia.edu/2315973/APPRAISING_THE_ROLE_OF_THE

_African_Union_IN_SOMALIA_AMISOM_

2. http://amisom-au.org/about-somalia/somali-peace-process/

3.

http://pages.au.int/

4. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-

factbook/fields/print_2008.html

5. http://www.au.int/en/search/node/somalia
https://www.academia.edu/2315973/APPRAISING_THE_ROLE_OF_THE_African_Union_IN_SOMALIA_AMISOM_https://www.academia.edu/2315973/APPRAISING_THE_ROLE_OF_THE_African_Union_IN_SOMALIA_AMISOM_https://www.academia.edu/2315973/APPRAISING_THE_ROLE_OF_THE_African_Union_IN_SOMALIA_AMISOM_https://www.academia.edu/2315973/APPRAISING_THE_ROLE_OF_THE_African_Union_IN_SOMALIA_AMISOM_http://amisom-au.org/about-somalia/somali-peace-process/http://pages.au.int/http://pages.au.int/http://amisom-au.org/about-somalia/somali-peace-process/https://www.academia.edu/2315973/APPRAISING_THE_ROLE_OF_THE_African_Union_IN_SOMALIA_AMISOM_https://www.academia.edu/2315973/APPRAISING_THE_ROLE_OF_THE_African_Union_IN_SOMALIA_AMISOM_

Documents

Study Guide 2014 Final