13 Aug 2012

SOMALIA / UPDATE

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said that the 20 August deadline that will mark the end of the Transitional Government in Somalia, will be a “watershed” towards greater democracy in the country. UNPOS

Posted at: August 13, 2012 6:09 pm

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STORY: SOMALIA / UPDATE
TRT: 2.30
SOURCE: AMISOM / UNPOS / UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE 
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 13 AUGUST 2012, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOTLIST:

FILE - UNPOS - 1 AUGUST 2012, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

1.	Various shots, signing of the constitution
2.	Wide shot, National Constituent Assembly applauding and cheering

AMISOM - 13 AUGUST 2012, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

3.	SOUNDBITE (English) Augustine Mahiga, Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia: 
"That will be the watershed between transition and transformation. By transformation I mean, stabilization of the country, new leadership, new plan, new ideology, new institutions, and a direction towards greater democracy in Somalia."

FILE - UNICEF - 13-16 JULY 2012, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

4.	Various shots, girls attending class in internally displaced camp

AMISOM - 13 AUGUST 2012, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

5.	SOUNDBITE (English) Augustine Mahiga, Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia: 
"This will have an impact on the lives of ordinary Somalis because it is taking place at a time when the whole country is almost liberated from the insurgents and this gives an opportunity for the country to open up, it gives more freedom for the people to move and enlarges the opportunities for people to engage in the reconstruction of social and economic activities."

FILE - AMISOM – 25 -28 MAY 2012, AFGOOYE, SOMALIA

6.	Various shots, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops and Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers engaged in fire fight
7.	Various shots, AMISOM armoured vehicles moving towards Shabelle River and secured all the major roads leading into and out of Afgooye town

AMISOM - 13 AUGUST 2012, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

8.	SOUNDBITE (English) Augustine Mahiga, Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia: 
"If I compare where Somalia was on August last year and where it is now, it's been a quantum leap in politics, in the process and in the peace that Somalia is enjoying."

FILE - UNICEF - 19 JULY 2012, BAIDOA, SOMALIA

9.	Various shots, women and children receiving treatment at Baidoa Regional Hospital

STORYLINE:

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga today (13 August) said the end of Somalia's period of transitional government due next Monday will be a "watershed" on the way to greater democracy in the country.

After decades of warfare, Somalia has been undergoing a peace and national reconciliation process, with the country's transitional federal institutions currently implementing the so-called Roadmap for the End of Transition in Somalia that spells out priority measures to be carried out before the country's transitional governing arrangements end on 20 August.

In an interview, Mahiga said 20 August will be a "the watershed between transition and transformation" as it will usher in "stabilization of the country, new leadership, new plan, new ideology, new institutions, and a direction towards greater democracy in Somalia."

A provisional constitution was overwhelmingly approved last week by the representative body convened for that purpose. It will provide a legal framework governing the workings of the new Somali Federal Institutions after 20 August.

Mahiga said this would have an impact on the lives of ordinary Somalis "because it is taking place at a time when the whole country is almost liberated from the insurgents and this gives an opportunity for the country to open up, it gives more freedom for the people to move and enlarges the opportunities for people to engage in the reconstruction of social and economic activities."

Areas such as the Afgooye corridor, known as a breadbasket of the country, were recently liberated from the insurgents. Al-Shabaab's extortion of farmers was a major factor in the 2011 famine in which up to 100,000 people starved to death.

The Special Representative said comparing where Somalia was a year ago and where it is now, "it's been a quantum leap in politics, in the process and in the peace that Somalia is enjoying".

As the militant group Al-Shabaab retreats, in regions such as Badoia, locals have started to gain access to much needed aid, health care and refuge.