For Immediate Release
PRESS RELEASE 0026/2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Nairobi - The UN Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, has welcomed ongoing regional efforts to support the cooperation between the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia in the framework of the Djibouti Agreement. He also welcomed the continued commitment of the Parties to making the Agreement work.
“I am very pleased with the strong focus by the sub-region on work carried out by the Parties to strengthen the conditions for stability in Somalia,” he said.
The Joint Security Committee, which comprises representatives from both sides, has been meeting in South Africa for the past week to discuss and plan for the next round of meetings. They were helped by experts from the international community under the auspices of my office, UNDP, and the conflict management organization ACCORD of South Africa.
He also announced that the UN and World Bank were organizing an international donors conference under the auspices of his office to take place in early 2009 to raise resources for a one year recovery program in Somalia.. On 20 October, thanks to backing from the Swedish Government represented by Ms Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for International Development Co-operation, a preparatory meeting for this conference is being held in Stockholm.
“I hope the conference will have a positive outcome which will help the Somali people to benefit from working towards peace,” said Mr Ould-Abdallah.
“I recently visited the Somali refugees in Dadaab and they told me that their dearest wish is to return home to restart their lives. However the continuing violence means that instead, thousands are fleeing their homeland every month.”
The SRSG called on all the leading Somali figures, elders, religious leaders, businessmen and women and major players in the Diaspora to take the responsibility for working to end the conflict and to bring all sides together to rebuild their country.
“While they should support all peace efforts, especially those from the region, their focus must remain on lasting solutions,” he said.
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For more information please contact: Susannah Price, Public Information Officer, UN Political Office for Somalia (Nairobi, Kenya) Tel. +254 20 762 1192 (o) or
+254 733 902020 (m). Please visit: www.UN-Somalia.org