Top UN official lauds Ethiopia’s effort to helping bring peace, stability in Somalia

(15 June, 2007)

The Ethiopian Defence Force has played a crucial role to bring about peace and stability in Somalia and to foil threat posed by terrorists to the region, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe said.

Ethiopia played a significant role to help bring about stability in Somalia, which did not have a central government for the last 16 years, Pascoe said.

The international community recognizes the legality and legitimacy of its measures of defending against threats of terror and of helping the TFG stand on its feet, he said.

The official said the UN considers the Somalia national reconciliation conference, due to take place on Thursday, the best option to ensure sustainable peace in that country.

He reaffirmed that the UN would provide the necessary assistance for the success of the reconciliation conference. This, he reaffirmed also earlier on during his talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

During his four-hour stay in Mogadishu, Pascoe held talks with President Abdulhai Yesfu and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia on the existing peace and security and on ways of securing humanitarian assistance to war displaced Somalis.

Pascoe said he held wide ranging discussion with prime Minster Meles Zenawi and Eritrean President Esayas Afeworki on Ethio-Eriteria border issue.

In Kenya, the UN official held talks with representatives of international and non-governmental organizations that engaged in providing humanitarian assistance to Somalis on current issues in Somalia.

Moreover, Pascoe discussed with senior officials of the African Union on ways of working closely to bring peace and security in Somalia.Their discussion in particular focused on the ongoing effort to deploying more AU peacekeepers to Somalia. (ENDS)