United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS)
For Immediate Release
PRESS RELEASE 009/2011
SRSG welcomes agreement between the Somali President and Speaker Nairobi, 9 June 2011 - The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Dr Augustine P. Mahiga, has expressed his satisfaction over the agreement signed by the President of Somalia, Sheikh Sharif SheikhAhmed and the Speaker of Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, in Kampala under theauspices of the President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and facilitated by the SRSG. The
SRSG said it was a breakthrough in resolving the five month long political impasse in Mogadishu over ending the current transition period and the following political arrangements. Under the agreement, known as the Kampala Accord, the terms of both the Presidency and the Parliament have been extended for one year, while a new Prime Minister should be appointed within the next 30 days.
The SRSG said the signatories should seek to get the political buy-in and support of other stakeholders including regional authorities and partners. He also urged them to complete the implementation of agreements already concluded with their Somali partners, particularly Puntland and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a.
“I am delighted that we have managed to overcome the deadlock in such a constructive way,” said Dr Mahiga. “The leaders worked together in a positive manner to come up with this important political breakthrough. They are to be congratulated. I also
extend my sincere appreciation to President Museveni for his unwavering support over the past week.”
The Somali President and Speaker have pledged to work together during the interim period of one year to implement priority tasks in accordance with a roadmap to be agreed with timelines, benchmarks and compliance mechanisms, including the formation of a regional political bureau of heads of state. These priority tasks include finalizing and adopting the constitution, reforming institutions, enhancing security and rebuilding the security sector, continuing outreach and reconciliation, rolling out basic administrative and social services to ensure the stabilization of areas recovered from armed groups, improving accountability and preparing for elections.
The details of the above roadmap and the implementation plan will be worked out in the coming weeks and discussed with a wide range of stakeholders at a conference convened by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) which will be facilitated by the SRSG.
The scope and agenda of the conference will be decided by a Joint Committee comprising representatives from the TFG, TFP, Galmudug, Puntland, the United Nations, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). “The key to making this meeting a landmark success is ensuring that it is fully inclusive,” said Dr Mahiga. “The Somali leadership now needs to focus on implementing reforms, continuing to restore peace and security to Somalia, and on accomplishing the tasks required to complete the transition.”
