The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), Augustine P. Mahiga, today (16 October) told a Security Council meeting onSomalia that the fall of port city ofKismayo, "the last stronghold of the extremist al-Shabaab insurgents in late September, marked a decisive turning point in the conflict." UNTV
Somali Government forces with the support of troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) advanced to within 5 kilometres of the port city ofKismayoSunday (30 September), a day after they pushed Al Qaeda-affiliated militants from the southern Somali town of Canjeel. AMISOM / UNPOS
During a recent fact-finding trip to Mogadishu, Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support, Tony Banbury and the Director of the UN support office to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Amadu Kamara travelled through the city in armoured personnel carriers to assess the situation on the ground. AMISOM / UNPOS
Somali women came together last Sunday (16 September) in an "Open Day Partnerships for Peace," event, – part of a global program to promote the idea that women are among the main victims of conflict, and should therefore be important participants in any peace process. UNPOS
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