- The United Nations officials have called on the international community to support the fragile Somalia peace process, saying the African Union has a moral and political obligation to help the Horn of Africa state.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe said the response of the international community to an embattled government’s pleas for help could help consolidate hopeful steps toward a lasting peace agreement in the country.
Mr Pascoe said the situation remains fragile in the country following the attempted coup on 9 May by the radical Islamists group Al Shabab fighters, saying the latest surge in violence was in response to the government’s strategy to reach out and build a critical mass in support of peace.
He said that despite heavy fighting in Somalia, recent months have witnessed newfound reasons for hope, and that the Somali people have the best chance in two decades to end their suffering and move towards a better and more stable future. “The government’s efforts at building a consensus for reconciliation are slowly gaining ground, despite the serious challenge by well-funded radicals,” he stated.
He urged the international community to make a vital investment to nurture the fragile Somali peace process and help the government to establish its authority throughout the country and build its security and rule of law institutions.
The UN special representative for Somalia Ahmed Ould Abdallah blamed the recent clashes on the extremists whom he accused of bringing foreign fighters with the aim to topple the new government.
Meanwhile, the fighting between government forces and Islamist fighters in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, which started late last week, has advanced to the edge of the presidential palace. The fighting has reportedly focused near the presidential palace in the Wardigley district and in the north of the city at the Bondere and Karan areas.
In January, the UN Security Council signaled its intention to establish a UN force in the Horn of Africa country. It also requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to establish a trust fund to help support the existing African Union (AU) force, known as AMISOM, and to facilitate a logistical support package, training and equipment, in anticipation of its eventual absorption into a UN force.
The Horn of Africa nation has been marred by constant civil conflict dating as far back as in the early 1990’s. It is estimated that more than 16,000 civilians have been killed by fighting since the start of 2007, with thousands more displaced.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español