UN News
Press Release
Monday, June 10, 2013
The head of the new United Nations
Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) called today for an
immediate end to fighting in the southern port city of
Kismaayo, where clashes have reportedly led to civilian
deaths."I urge all parties to commit to resolve
differences peacefully. I deplore reports of the loss of
civilian life," the Secretary-General's Special
Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, declared today in
a press statement.
According to unconfirmed reports,
clashes that flared in Kismaayo yesterday reignited today.
Through his statement, Mr. Kay called for the fighting to
cease immediately. "This new chapter in Somalia's history
must be one in which issues are resolved peacefully."
More
violence will only prolong the suffering of Somalis and
delay the revival they and the international community are
working for, the statement added.
Mr. Kay, who took up his
post just five days ago, noted that the UNSOM, as the UN
Security Council recently reiterated, will play a
constructive role in resolving political difficulties of any
kind in close consultation with all parties in Somalia and
the region. "I am engaging immediately on this issue."
The
statement says that the Mission chief discussed his concerns
with Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud today, during
their first official meeting in Mogadishu, where UNSOM is
headquartered.
They both called for the convening of a
reconciliation conference as soon as possible, as IGAD
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of
State have proposed.