Global leaders held a mini-summit on the political future of Somalia at the United Nations headquarters on Friday. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said, "For the first time since the Djibouti Peace Agreement of 2008, there is a significantly more inclusive political process and a consensus of how to end the transition. It is time now for the Transitional Federal Institutions and Somalia's leaders to implement the roadmap to end the transition, keeping in mind that future assistance will be contingent on the timely attainment of the agreed benchmarks," Al Shabaab fighters retreated from Mogadishu after four years of battling government forces and foreign peacekeepers. The insurgent's retreat from the capital effectively handed full control of the city to the government for the first time since civil war broke out in 1991. Jean Ping, the Chairman African Union, called on the international community to continue its support of Somalia. But United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a stern warning to the summit. Clinton said it is time for the Somalis to take control. She said, "Time may be running out. If we don't do this right now, given the fact that the African Union Mission for Somalia has been successful in opening up the space in Mogadishu. If Somali leaders do not follow the roadmap that has been negotiated by Africans for Africans, then I don't know that the international community will be here next year and the year after with support. It is now up to Somalis," The U.N. will host a high-level meeting on its humanitarian response to the famine in Somalia and the rest of the Horn of Africa on Saturday. Speakers: U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon The Chairman African Union, Jean Ping United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton By: Ikram Al Yacoub Al Arabiya With Agencies
Somalia
UN
General
Assembly
Ban
Ki-moon
Djibouti
Mogadishu
Al
Shabaab
Jean
Ping
Hillary
Clinton
Horn
of
Africa
Ikram
Yacoub
Arabiya
English.
Channels:
Somalia
Added: 233 days ago by
raage
Views: 108 |
Comments: 0
Not yet rated