UN chief tasks Somali leaders on stability, development

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Somalia’s Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) to demonstrate that they are moving the country towards political stability and social-economic development.

Ban, who made the charge Wednesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an address to the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit on Peace and Security, said the UN Security Council and donors were losing patience with the tensions within the Somali leadership.

"The TFIs must show real progress on key tasks, such as constitution making, political outreach, reconciliation, the provision of basic services and improvements in security,” he said.

A copy of the address, made available to PANA in New York on Thursday, quoted the secretary-general as saying that, "I am also very concerned about the humanitarian crisis.

"Our (AU-United Nations) cooperation in Somalia has been truly exceptional and is finally beginning to show signs of success. We must persevere,” he noted.

Ban, however, commended the forces of Somalia’s Transitional Government (TFG) over its successes against the Al Shabaab insurgents, with the support of the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

"I commend the courage and commitment of the leaders and soldiers of Uganda, Burundi and TFG forces. The United Nations continues to do everything possible to support the operation through our United Nations Support Office,” he added.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council called on the TFIs to "ensure cohesion and focus on the completion of the transitional tasks'', expressing regret over the decision by the transitional parliament to extend its mandate unilaterally.

The extension of the mandate also created divisions between the members of Parliament on the one hand, and the President and the Prime Minister on the other.

In February, Parliament voted to extend its term for three years after the end of the transitional period in August, a move rejected by the TFG, which has instead proposed extending the interim period for one year, saying it wanted to try to enhance political stability and security.
-0- PANA AA/BOS 26May2011