Monday 5 December 2011

Somalia - Letter to the Somali people from the UN Special Representative

Letter to the Somali people from the UN Special Representative

Nairobi, 4 December 2011
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As-Salaamu Alaikum,
Dear friends,
My most sincere greetings to you all both inside Somalia and in the Diaspora abroad. Once again, as the year draws to a close, I am writing to you all to update you on the fast moving developments in the region since I last spoke with you nearly two months ago.
I am pleased to report that aid is reaching some of those most affected by the dire humanitarian situation. Conditions have eased in three of the six districts that were declared to be in famine, but the crisis is not over. The lives of some 250,000 people are still at immediate risk if they are not helped urgently. The international community must continue and expand its efforts, even as images of suffering fade from the front pages.
In this regard, I must commend the excellent work that new partners such as Turkey, the Organisation of Islamic Conference and the League of Arab States are doing – not only in providing humanitarian assistance but also in sending its own people to Mogadishu to work on the ground. I relayed this message and thanked the Turkish Government and people when I visited Ankara in early November.
As you know I have been visiting Mogadishu regularly and I am impressed by the bustling, busy streets and the resilience of those of you in the city who have re-opened your shops and cafes. Your capital city is now a place of freshly painted walls and builders’ scaffolding supporting ongoing repairs to homes and businesses. But of course very serious risks remain. We always knew that once the extremists were driven out of their strongholds in the city, they would resort to terror tactics. The Transitional Federal Government forces and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is doing what it can to help stabilize and consolidate but almost every day we hear tragic reports of explosions killing innocent civilians including women who were clearing the rubbish to make the city a better place to live.
On the security side, since my last letter, Kenya launched an operation into Somali territory after a series of kidnappings in Kenya. I have noted the Joint Communiqué signed by Kenya and the Somali Transitional Federal Government which stated that Al-Shabaab is a common enemy to be fought jointly. I have also seen the communiqués of both IGAD and the Extraordinary Summit of East African States supporting the joint operation, suggesting that Kenya consider integrating its forces to AMISOM and requesting that Ethiopia consider assisting in the efforts against Al-Shabaab.
At the same time, progress on the security front must go hand in hand with tangible gains on the political side, and we must move slowly and carefully on the question of local and regional administrations and encourage them to joint the Roadmap process.
Source:UN

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