galbeed.com

AIROBI, July 16 (Xinhua)–A top United Nations envoy for Somalia on Wednesday praised the Somali warring parties for working quickly to advance the Djibouti Agreement which was signed last month.

    Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN Special Representative for Somalia (SRSG) said the Somali leadership was not working alone.

    ”The progress made so far has been encouraging,” said Ould-Abdallah said in a statement issued in Nairobi. “A month ago, Somali leaders from different backgrounds, made a courageous step forward to restoring the dignity of their wounded country.”

    Ould-Abdallah said the international community, in particular the European Union (EU) , Norway and the United States, has already mobilized significant resources for the implementation of the Agreement.

    He said the period since the signing has allowed Somalis to prepare for the new challenges ahead and to give all those still uncomfortable with the idea of a reborn Somalia, time to adjust.

    ”After 18 years of armed confrontation that has evolved from a political struggle to a conflict between and among tribes, there is now hope that we will see the dawning of a new era,” he said.

    The UN envoy said the path towards Somalia regaining its dignity and sovereignty is “irreversible”, noting that the UN Security Council would meet to discuss Somalia shortly.

    He also expressed the hope that a joint Somali delegation would undertake a mission to the Security Council and meet the Jaliyadda(Diaspora) in the United States and in other countries.

    ”As peace calls for courage, patriotism and firm determination, it always has many enemies. Over the past two decades, countless Somalis have met brutal deaths, others went into exile or became refugees in their own country. The rest of the population is trapped and the business community’s enormous potential is not fully utilized.”

    The Somalia’s transitional government and the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia signed a peace deal in neighboring Djibouti on June 8 aimed at ending 17 years of conflict in the country.

    Somalia has been in a state of anarchy since warlords overthrew Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

    Several people were killed during clashes between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian troops backing the Somali government over the weekend.

    For the time being, Some 2,200 African Union peacekeeping troops are in Mogadishu but have done little to quell the violence which has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the country.

    The talks in Djibouti were the latest attempt to negotiate an end to the anarchy in Somalia. It is estimated that the conflict has created more than 1 million refugees.

    Somalia has experienced almost constant civil conflict since the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre’ s regime in January 1991. 

Sphere: Related Content

Categories: News
Tags: