SOMALIA NEEDS GREATER INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO REBUILD, UN ENVOY SAYS

Somalia needs stronger support from the international community if its people are to rebuild their war-shattered society, the top United Nations envoy to the Horn of Africa nation said today as he welcomed a meeting between the Somali President and the United States Secretary of State.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN Special Representative for Somalia, said the meeting between Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hillary Clinton in Nairobi was an important show of support for peace and stability in Somalia.

"It is in line with, and strengthens the positions of, the InterGovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the European Union (EU) on Somalia," he said, according to a press release issued by the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS).

"The Government needs strong backing to continue its dialogue with various parties and to increase security for the people," Mr. Ould-Abdallah added.

"The time has come for countries, groups, individuals and especially spoilers to show more understanding and respect for Somalia and help its people to rebuild their society and their country. Respecting Somalia does not mean recycling proposals to hold 'inclusive national conferences' again and again."

The Special Representatives stressed that Somalis themselves are sick and tired of the violence in their country, which has not had a fully functioning national government since 1991, and are ready for dialogue between warring parties.

Despite the signing of peace agreements, the formation of a new Government and election of a new president, Somalia has endured a resurgence of violence in recent months. Fighting between Government forces and the Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam militant groups in Mogadishu since early May have forced over 200,000 people from their homes, many of them for the second time over the course of the past year.
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SOMALIA: SECURITY COUNCIL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RECENT SUICIDE BOMBING

The Security Council today strongly condemned the suicide car-bomb attack in Somalia that killed the national security minister, Omar Hashi Aden, and a number of innocent civilians on 18 June.

The blast at a hotel in Beledweyne, north of the capital, Mogadishu, reportedly killed 35 people.

In a press statement read out by Ambassador Baki Ilkin of Turkey, which holds the rotating Council presidency for June, the 15-member body offered "their sincere condolences to the families of those murdered or injured in the attack, as well as to the Government and the people of Somalia."

The Council reiterated its support for the Transitional Federal Government, its efforts to achieve peace, security and reconciliation in Somalia through the UN-facilitated Djibouti process, which aided the formation of the new government in February, as well as the creation of a newly-expanded Parliament and election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The body also expressed its continued backing for the work of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in its statement, while condemning the recent flare up of deadly violence in the Horn of Africa country.
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SOMALIA: TOP UN OFFICIAL DEPLORES DEADLY ATTEMPT TO DESTABILIZE GOVERNMENT

SOMALIA: TOP UN OFFICIAL DEPLORES DEADLY ATTEMPT TO DESTABILIZE GOVERNMENT
New York, May 12 2009 10:00AM
The top United Nations envoy to Somalia today condemned the latest surge in armed violence targeting the fledgling Government of the beleaguered Horn of Africa nation.

According to media reports, rebel attacks in Mogadishu have killed possibly hundreds of people in recent days, with at least a dozen deaths overnight, and sent thousands more fleeing the capital city looking for safety.The latest attacks come after unidentified gunmen shot dead a lawmaker and attempted to kill a member of Cabinet in April and a roadside bomb injured the Interior Minister and killed one of his assistants in Mogadishu at the end of March.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, called for an immediate ceasefire. "There is now a legitimate, internationally recognized government in Mogadishu which should be supported.

"Instead, irresponsible elements backed by foreigners, have attacked Mogadishu in an attempt to seize power by force."

Noting that no clan has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the "attempt to destabilize the country", Mr. Ould-Abdallah stressed that the people of Somalia "have clearly shown they are sick and tired of the conflict yet once again they are subjected to violence which has killed and displaced innocent men, women and children."

The Special Representative welcomed any group that supported peace and stability to join the ongoing UN-facilitated Djibouti process, which aided the formation of a new Government of National Unity in February, as well as the creation of a newly-expanded Parliament and election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

He also applauded the regional grouping Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU), who moved quickly to condemn the conflict, reject aggression and prepare effective action in Somalia, which has been ravaged by factional conflict since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991.

The armed groups who launched the attacks must bear full responsibility for the deadly consequences, said Mr. Ould-Abdallah. "They are intent on continuing the violence and anarchy of the past two decades and should be rejected by the Somali people and the international community."
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THOUSANDS OF SOMALIS STILL FLEEING TO KENYA, REPORTS UN AGENCY

Despite recent elections and the establishment of new government in their homeland, thousands of Somalis are continuing to flee to north-eastern Kenya, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.

More than 20,000 Somalis have been registered in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camps since the start of 2009. Several of the new arrivals told UNHCR that they left due to rising insecurity, coupled with drought and food shortages.

"Many also express little optimism for the return of peace to their country in the near term," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva. "Despite the recent elections held in Djibouti which saw a new Government come to power, many parts of Somalia are still insecure."

Somalia, which has been beset by factional strife since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991, has witnessed a number of positive developments in recent months, including the creation of an expanded Parliament, the election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the formation of the Unity Government.

At the same time, the UN estimates that over 3 million people, a third or more of the total population, will remain dependent on humanitarian assistance this year.

According to UNHCR, more than half of the new arrivals to Dadaab are women and children, some having travelled as much as 800 kilometres over 16 days by foot to reach the camps.

Mr. Redmond said UNHCR is continuing to receive new arrivals at Kenya's sprawling and overcrowded Dadaab refugee complex. Designed nearly two decades ago to accommodate a total of 90,000 people, the complex currently houses over 261,000. There are concerns that the upcoming rainy season, set to begin in early April, could put additional constraints on the already congested camps.

The agency and the Kenyan Government are finalizing plans for the construction of new camps to ease the burden on the Dadaab site. "It is crucial for the Government to provide us with land as soon as possible, where we can build other camps and thus decongest the existing camps and prepare for more people if the current arrival trend continues," Mr. Redmond stated.

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BAN WELCOMES SOMALIA’S COMMITMENT TO RECONCILIATION, BUT NOTES HURDLES AHEAD

BAN WELCOMES SOMALIA'S COMMITMENT TO RECONCILIATION, BUT NOTES HURDLES AHEAD
New York, Mar 11 2009 6:00PM

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has lauded the resolve of Somalia's leaders and people to press ahead with reconciliation efforts, in spite of the numerous challenges the Horn of Africa nation faces.

The recent expansion of the Parliament and the peaceful election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed are "clearly testimony of the commitment of the parties to move forward with national reconciliation," Mr. Ban wrote in his latest report on Somalia, made public today.

He said he is "pleased" that the new Somali leader has stated that he plans to reach out to groups opposed to the UN-brokered Djibouti process, urging "all the people of Somalia to embrace the spirit of forgiveness and compromise and put the past behind them for the sake of peace and reconciliation."

But the Secretary-General noted the many challenges ahead for the war-torn nation which has not had a functioning government since 1991.

"The simmering conflict between the forces of peace and those opposed to peace is just one example of those hurdles," he wrote, adding that the instability caused by hostilities, abductions and fear continue to hinder delivery of vital humanitarian aid.

A January UN analysis found that more than three million people in Somalia, a third or more of the total population, will remain dependent on humanitarian assistance this year.

The new report also commended the international community's response to combating piracy off the Somali coast, calling on donors to help fund a Joint Security Force and effective government mechanisms to help fight the continuing threat posed by the scourge.

Mr. Ban noted that among the aims of the UN's comprehensive strategy for Somalia is to help the African Union Mission there (AMISOM) reach its authorized full strength of 8,000 troops and police personnel, and give Somali security institutions the capacity to create a level of security to enable the Djibouti peace process.

The UN Security Council has yet to decide whether to deploy a multidimensional UN peacekeeping operation that would take over from AMISOM, and "there remains uncertainty about whether peacekeeping is the right tool to support the political process in Somalia," he wrote.

He said he will put forth by next month recommendations on developing the mandate for a UN force, including assisting the flow of humanitarian aid, monitoring a ceasefire and assisting "in supporting the effective re-establishment and training of inclusive Somali security forces, including military, police and judiciary," as requested by Council resolution 1863.

The "follow-on" UN force is subject, however, to a further decision of the Council, to be taken by 1 June 2009, according to that resolution.
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