Somalia: Ban Lauds Country’s Progress towards Stability

In Somalia, Ban Lauds Country’s Progress towards Stability, Urges ‘Continuity’

On a visit to Somalia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrives at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport. UN Photo/Ilyas Ahmed

29 October 2014 – Somalia has made “remarkable progress” as it continues down the road towards economic and political stability, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as he arrived in the capital city of Mogadishu – the third stop in a tour of the Horn of Africa aimed at promoting development and consolidating peace and security across the wider region.

Speaking to reporters as he touched down in the city, Mr. Ban acknowledged that after two decades of internecine conflict and humanitarian crises, Somalia was finally waking from a “long nightmare,” reaching a “pivotal moment” as militant group Al-Shabaab appeared to be on the wane and political progress had finally seemed to take root as the country’s institutions were steadily strengthened.

“Politically, this country is coming together like never before,” he told the press. “I especially commend the agreements to form regional administrations. These bodies must be inclusive with strong representation of women and young people.”

The Secretary-General’s remarks come amid a joint trip uniting the capacities of the United Nations, World Bank, European Union, Islamic Development Bank, and African Development Bank and targeting a swathe of countries in the Horn of Africa, spanning Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, with an $8 billion development initiative.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, who is a member of the high-level delegation to the region, noted that Somalia’s transition presented “a unique opportunity” for the nation and the wider Horn of Africa region “to improve the livelihoods of the people by engaging them in productive economic activities.”

“Political stability and human security are important pre-requisites for reducing extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity for the Somali people,” he added.

ENDS

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