'Somalia has best chance to usher in lasting peace'

New York, US (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Mr. Augustine Mahiga, has said Somalia currently has the best opportunity to end its two decades-long conflict and bring lasting peace and stability to the country.

He said, however, that doing so will require a greater efforts by all parties and sustained support from international partners.

PANA reports that the country’s Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) are in the process of implementing a road map devised in September last year that spells out priority measures to be carried out before the current transitional governing arrangements end on 20 August.

Before then, Somalia needs a new constitution, a smaller and more representative Parliament and elections for the positions of President, Speaker and Deputies.

''Ending the transition on time will require more efforts and support from all international actors in the coming months,'' Mr. Mahiga told the UN Security Council at a meeting on Monday in New York. ''We must ensure that all of us are pulling together in this regard.''

He also pointed out that the drafting of the constitution has to be completed by the end of this month, noting that ''the selection process to the 1,000-member Constituent Assembly from over eight community-based constituencies, including women, wil be completed in eight weeks for the provisional adoption of the constitution by the end of April.''

In his report to the Council, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said ''this is a critical moment for Somalia.''

Ban said the London conference reiterated the commitment of the international community to strongly support the establishment of the new institutions that would lead to ending the transition, to provide support to AMISOM that would allow it to sustain the political process and to provide sustained international support for recovery and development.

In a presidential statement issued after the meeting, the Council emphasized the need to build on agreement in London and continue to pursue a comprehensive strategy for the establishment of peace and stability in Somalia through the collaborative effort of all stakeholders.

It also expressed its grave concern about the threat posed to Somalia and the international community by terrorist attacks by Somali armed opposition groups, in particular Al-Shabaab.
-0- PANA AA/SEG 6Mar2012