The Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations and President of the UN Security Council during January 2026, Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, expressed the view that the process of renewing the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) will proceed smoothly.
Responding to a question by CNA, Osman said that “I do not think there is going to be any problem,” stressing that the Security Council “continues to support the Secretary-General’s Good Offices” and remains committed to an approach based on dialogue and de-escalation. As he noted, the Council “calls always for dialogue, restraint and a peaceful, negotiated settlement within the United Nations framework.”
The President of the Security Council underlined the importance of maintaining stability on the ground, pointing out that “it is important to respect its status quo in the buffer zone,” while also referring to the role of UNFICYP, which he described as “stabilising”. In this context, he highlighted the need to advance de-escalatory initiatives, such as “confidence-building measures that reduce tensions”.
Seeking progress
Referring to the procedure to be followed within the Council, Ambassador Osman noted that members would carefully consider the next steps, explaining that “the Secretary-General’s reports are going to be listened to” in order to determine “how we can move forward and how we can contribute” to the continuation of the process.
As he said, the Security Council’s objective remains the strengthening of the conditions for progress on the Cyprus issue, through “contributing to a peaceful dialogue” and the “creation of an environment that is acceptable to all parties”.
The statements by the President of the Security Council to the Cyprus News Agency were made in the context of the presentation of the Council’s Programme of Work for the month of January 2026, during which Somalia holds the Presidency.
CNA