Looking for ‘Peacelords' in Somalia - Message from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Somalia (SRSG), Ambassador Francois Lonseny Fall

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O n this International Day of Peace, all nations and peoples in conflict are being asked to silence their guns. This is an important moment for pause and reflection on the tragedies of yesterday and the possibilities for tomorrow. It is a day that means much for Somalia.

For fourteen long years, Somalia has been ravaged by man and nature. The war has seen no victors and it has left the country vulnerable to lawlessness and human calamities. It is the Somali people who, in spite of their resilience and fortitude, have borne the brunt of the suffering and it is they who deserve a better future. The United Nations, for its part, is marking this day of Peace with support for Civil Society Organizations to mount a wide range of peaceful activities in at least 10 major Somali population centres.(*)

The Somali people, in spite of the challenges they face, have been successful in establishing Transitional Federal Institutions to chart a secure and productive future. And now that these institutions are back home on Somali territory, they have the heavy responsibility of bringing the country back from anarchy to a path towards peace and prosperity.

I call on the leaders of the Somali Transitional Federal Institutions to work together, with sincerity and commitment, through dialogue and consensus, to build trust and reconciliation between themselves and within Somali society. I urge them to do all they can to give the children of Somalia, and their children, the brighter future they long for and deserve.

Never again should Somalis be made to kill Somalis. Never again should the country be allowed to descend into war and chaos. Today's Somali leadership has a unique opportunity to save the country. History will judge their vision and their commitment to this common cause.

The road to peace, although difficult, is within reach and the United Nations continues to walk that path, offering its support at every turn for the better. Children are being immunized and are returning to school. Flood- and drought-affected areas are being reclaimed and restored. Militiamen in some communities are trading their guns for training and the uniforms of policemen. Hopefully, one day soon, they will be part of a National Somali Police Force.

There is much more that the United Nations is able and willing to do, but it is the Somali Transitional Federal Institutions, working in accordance with the Transitional Federal Charter, which must first lead the way. Progress in the political process will unlock international support for peace, reconstruction and development.

Many nations have embraced such challenges and succeeded in building a better future for their people. I am convinced that it is not beyond the people and leaders of Somalia to follow their example. There is no alternative. With dialogue and reconciliation, peace need no longer be a dream. What Somalia needs most today are men and women with the courage and the vision to deliver.

Let us all become ‘Peacelords' for Somalia.

Thank you

(*) Jowhar, Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Burao, Garowe, Kismayo, Baidoa, Bosaso, Galkayo and Merca