SOMALIA: UN ENVOY WELCOMES LATEST MEETING OF INITIATIVE TO BOLSTER SECURITY

The senior United Nations envoy to Somalia today welcomed the first meeting in Mogadishu of a joint committee set up to boost safety and security across the war-wracked country.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, said the meeting of the Joint Security Committee in the Somali capital was "an important step towards reforming and improving security."

The committee, which comprises representatives of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the international community, met on Saturday to discuss the latest developments in the Horn of Africa nation.

It was established by the Djibouti Agreement last year to discuss security issues and aims to harmonize the work of the TFG and the international community, particularly concerning efforts to bolster Somalia's fragile security institutions such as the national army and police.

"This committee provides a key forum for the Somali Government and international community to work together on supporting the security sector at this crucial time," Mr. Ould-Abdallah said.

The committee, which is also mandated to facilitate the disbursement of pledges made at a conference in Brussels, Belgium, in April to boost Somali security, is expected to eventually cover other areas, including the rule of law and security sector reform.
________________

FORMER SOMALI ARMY OFFICERS TO MEET FOR UN-BACKED TALKS IN US CAPITAL

FORMER SOMALI ARMY OFFICERS TO MEET FOR UN-BACKED TALKS IN US CAPITAL
New York, Jun 3 2009 12:00PM
Former senior army officers from Somalia are slated to meet in Washington D.C. tomorrow for United Nations-backed talks aimed at bolstering security institutions in the strife-torn nation.

The two-day gathering, arranged with the support of the Somali Ministry of Defence and the UN Political Office for Somalia (<"http://www.un-somalia.org/">UNPOS), will look at the structure of Somalia's military before the collapse of the State and the best ways to address the country's current and future security needs.

"We are expecting this to be the first of several fruitful meetings," <"http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/LSGZ-7SND4K?OpenDocument&query=washington,%20dc&rc=1">said Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia.

Stressing that this is a "great opportunity for Somalis to find within their past some solutions for the future," Mr. Ould-Abdallah noted that the former Somali military officers participating in this meeting are respected for their experience in training soldiers from other African nations.

UNPOS said in a press release that the meeting will serve to prepare for follow-up discussions with Somalia's top military officials, expected to take place in late July, as part of the Government's commitment under the Djibouti Agreement to strengthen its defence forces.

Last week Mr. Ould-Abdallah told a news conference in New York that after visiting the Horn of Africa nation, it was "very sad to see how the city [Mogadishu], the population and the country are taken hostage by those who have been fighting and destroying their country over the last 20 years."

During his visit, he had spoken with Government leaders about the latest developments there, including the breakout of intense fighting in early May between Government troops and the opposition Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam groups. He said that up to 75,000 people, who had fled the country and returned earlier this year, had fled again because of the renewed fighting.
________________

TOP UN ENVOY SHOCKED BY ‘COWARDLY’ ATTACK AGAINST SOMALI MINISTER

The United Nations envoy to Somalia today strongly condemned the deadly roadside bomb blast which wounded the country's Interior Minister and killed one of his assistants in the capital, Mogadishu.

The minister, Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar, was walking through bustling Bakara Market on Thursday when the landmine exploded.

"I am shocked by this attack on the Interior Minister and his entourage," said the Secretary General's Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah.

"This is a cowardly act which has been widely condemned inside and outside Somalia," he added.

Aided by the UN-facilitated Djibouti Agreement, last month saw the formation of a new Government of National Unity, as well as the creation of a newly-expanded Parliament and election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in the Horn of African nation, which has been ravaged by factional conflict since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991.

The Special Representative noted that the new administration led by President Sheikh Ahmed was working hard to improve security, raise resources and help Somalis lead a normal life.

"Attacks such as these are clearly aimed at trying to stain the country's reputation," said Mr. Ould-Abdallah. He stressed that the new Government has the support of the majority of Somalis as well as the international community and that "the country is on the road towards peace and will not be thrown off course by these actions."
________________

SOMALIA: TOP UN ENVOY PRAISES NEW GOVERNMENT, URGES FULL SUPPORT

SOMALIA: TOP UN ENVOY PRAISES NEW GOVERNMENT, URGES FULL SUPPORT
New York, Mar 13 2009 1:00PM

The United Nations' top envoy for Somalia today lauded progress made in the past month by the new Government of the Horn of Africa country, which has been torn by factional strife since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah encouraged the Government of National Unity to continue working towards peace and stability and urged Somalis and the international community to support it.

The formation of the Government last month, and its return to the violence-plagued capital, Mogadishu, followed on the 2008 UN-facilitated Djibouti Agreement between the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, in which the two agreed to end their conflict.

In today's statement, Mr. Ould-Abdallah said he was pleased by the number of "patriotic Parliamentarians" who have returned to Mogadishu to start their work, and called for concrete diplomatic and material assistance for both branches of the administration.

"President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the Speaker and the Prime Minister have demonstrated responsible leadership in all fields and the unity Government is now functioning from the capital," Mr. Ould-Abdallah said.

He added that the Council of Ministers has met a number of times and passed important measures, including one on the place of Sharia, or Islamic law, in the country.

"All these developments will not only help the move towards normality inside the country, but will also help secure Somalia's image and reputation abroad. There is now absolutely no excuse for any Somali to continue plotting to destroy more Somali lives," he said.

Planning is underway for the next meeting of the High Level Committee that is tasked to look at such issues as political cooperation, justice and reconciliation, Mr. Ould-Abdallah said, adding that there would also be a meeting of the Joint Security Committee shortly.

With the vast majority of Somalis working together for the first time in many years, he said, the international community must do its part to fully support the new Government. "This help is not needed at some point in the future, but right now," he stressed.

He noted that President Ahmed has received offers of support from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Unite States and elsewhere and Somalia will be discussed at the Security Council on 20 March and at the upcoming League of Arab States Summit in Qatar.

In his latest report on Somalia, Secretary-General Ban also praised recent progress, but cautioned that much work lies ahead, with the instability caused by hostilities, abductions and fear continuing 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 assistance this year.

Mr. Ban noted that among the aims of the UN's comprehensive strategy for Somalia is to help the African Union Mission there (AMISOM) give Somali security institutions the capacity to create a level of security to enable the Djibouti peace process to continue.

The UN Security Council has yet to decide whether to deploy a multidimensional UN peacekeeping operation that would take over from AMISOM.
________________