UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Somalia Expresses Alarm at Renewal and Escalation of Fighting in Mogadishu

..............................................................................................

Nairobi – March 24: The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, today appealed to the leaders of warring parties in Mogadishu to end their hostilities and allow families caught in the crossfire to return safely to their homes.

“The renewal and escalation of fighting this week, with the tragic and avoidable suffering inflicted on civilians in Mogadishu, especially women and children, is unacceptable,” Ambassador Fall said. “I urge all sides to consider the loss of life, injuries and other suffering caused to hundreds of families this week and to put aside their weapons.”

Ambassador Fall appealed to those leading the forces in Mogadishu to immediately end their hostilities and join the ongoing parliamentary process in Baidoa. He also called on national leaders currently in parliamentary session in Baidoa, to use whatever influence they have to end the fighting.

“Somalia has taken an important step forward by convening its first parliament within the country,” he said. “The challenges it faces are well known and the conflict unfolding in Mogadishu is one of those challenges, pointing to the need for the Transitional Federal Institutions to urgently finalize a National Security and Stabilization Plan.”

Ambassador Fall repeated a call that he made to Somali leaders and members of the international community at the opening of the IGAD (*) Summit last week: “The ratification of a National Security and Stabilization Plan is not only critical for the waiver of the arms embargo for the IGASOM force, but also to prepare the ground for the necessary security sector reforms, including the creation of a Somali national army and police force,” he said. “My office has already initiated discussions with national and international stakeholders for the establishment of terms of reference for a national security and stabilization plan and I look forward to working with IGAD, the African Union and the Somali Transitional Federal Institutions, to help develop and finalize this plan, in line with appeals already made by the UN Security Council.”

(*) IGAD - Intergovernmental Authority on Development, comprising Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda.

For more information please contact: UN Political Office for Somalia(Nairobi, Kenya) Tel. +254 20 762 21 31 Please visit: www.UN-Somalia.org