International community meets with Somali civil society leaders
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Nairobi, 7 January - UN Special Representative, Francois Lonseny Fall joined members of the international community, Somali civil society organizations and business leaders in Nairobi this evening to discuss common approaches to the nation's future.
Ambassador Fall appealed to Civil Society Organizations to support preparations for reconciliatrion, dialogue and disarmament in Somalia.
Somalia needs an inclusive peace process
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Nairobi, 5 January - The UN Special Representative for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, today urged all parties to the Somalia crisis to work for an inclusive dialogue and peace process.
Addressing a meeting of the International Contact Group on Somalia (*), held in Nairobi, Ambassador Fall emphasized the need for:
- unity within Somalia's Transitional Federal Institutions;
- an inclusive process of political dialogue for peace and reconciliation;
- urgent funding to facilitate the deployment of a stabilization force based on UN Security Council Resolution 1725.
Secretary General welcomes prospect of early Ethiopian troop withdrawal and deployment of African peacekeepers
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New York, 4 January - U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has welcomed Ethiopia's stated intention to quickly withdraw its forces from Somalia.
In a statement attributable to his spokeswoman, Mr. Ban also welcomed announcements by some African countries that they were ready to deploy peacekeepers to Somalia. He hoped that an African mission could be put in place "as quickly as possible."
"The Secretary-General calls on all Somali parties and the international community to seize the current moment and do their utmost to end the heavy loss of life, displacement and suffering that have plagued the country," his chief spokeswoman, Michele Montas, said. "The United Nations will continue to do its part to support these efforts and to help Somalis build a country based on human rights and respect for the rule of law.
Ambassador Fall Urges Return to Dialogue, Without Preconditions
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New York, 26 December - The UN Special Representative reported today that fighting between the forces of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) had escalated dangerously, involving foreign forces and the use of heavy weapons and aircraft. Addressing an emergency session of the Security Council, Ambassador Fall said the conflict had expanded across a 400-kilometre front, dealing a serious blow to efforts aimed at an early resumption of peace talks.
Ambassador Fall also warned that the fighting had also compounded an already serious humanitarian crisis, resulting in additional displacement of populations.
He noted that on 26 December, the Secretary-General had called the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and the President of Kenya, asking them to encourage the Somali parties to resume peace talks without preconditions. Others in the region had issued similar appeals.
Ambassador Fall said all sides to the Somali conflict must be urged to abide by the provisions of resolution 1725 and return to dialogue, without preconditions. “Unless a political settlement is reached through negotiations, Somalia, I am afraid, will face a period of deepening conflict and heightened instability, which would be disastrous for the long-suffering people of Somalia, and could also have serious consequences for the entire region,” he warned. For full text of briefing.....
Secretary General deplores outbreak of fighting in Somalia
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New York, 22 December - The Secretary-General today deplored the recent outbreak of fighting between the forces of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) near Baidoa. He said he was deeply concerned that the escalation of the conflict in Somalia would have disastrous consequences for civilians, who are already suffering from the effects of years of instability and deprivation, compounded by severe flooding that has recently affected parts of the country. The Secretary General called on the TFG and the UIC to cease hostilities immediately and to resume the peace talks initiated in Khartoum without delay and without preconditions. He also called on both two parties to respect the commitments previously agreed upon at Khartoum.
The Secretary-General also expressed his grave concern about continued reports of the involvement of foreign forces in the current conflict. He implored all involved to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia. He further urged all the countries of the region to do whatever they can to ensure that the parties return to the peace talks and pursue a negotiated settlement of the crisis.
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