Somalia: Special Envoy Praises Somalis Living in Diaspora
By Staff Writer
NAIROBI---The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Dr Augustine Mahiga has praised the Somali Diaspora community for their efforts to help those afflicted by famine back home. In a letter addressed to the Diaspora community, Dr Mahiga urged them to continue assisting their brethren especially during this month of Ramadan.
“As I write this all our thoughts are with those suffering from the terrible effects of the famine. It is truly heart wrenching to see the images of the starving children and their desperate parents unable to provide any food. I applaud the efforts of those Somalis who are raising funds and sending urgently needed aid to their brothers and sisters. While in Rome I met a group of Somalis from the Diaspora and was touched by their selfless desire to organize and ship humanitarian assistance to the famine-hit region and to increase the remittances they send back”, Dr Mahiga said. “I appeal to all those who are able - Somalis and the international community alike - to give as much as they can during this Holy Month to feed the hungry, heal the sick and prevent the famine spreading further.”
The Special Envoy also underscored the importance of the Kampala Accord that broke the political deadlock that had paralyzed the peace process. He noted that His Excellency, President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Honourable Speaker, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden put their differences aside and, standing side by side, agreed to work together towards ending the Transition.
“I am extremely grateful to Uganda’s President, His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, for being the guarantor of the Accord which received rapid and overwhelming approval in the Somali Parliament. This new spirit of cooperation has continued with the timely selection and endorsement of a new Cabinet, well ahead of the deadline laid out in the Kampala Accord. I congratulate all concerned”, said Dr Mahiga.
The envoy noted that despite this progress, one of the contributing factors to the famine has been the ongoing fighting in the country.
“Some of the extremists are continuing their efforts to intimidate and cower the population by preventing the movement of people from the worst hit areas. We call for the humanitarian agencies to be given unhindered access to all areas to provide desperately needed help. Meanwhile the Transitional Federal Government, backed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), is taking action right now to open up areas in Mogadishu to allow humanitarian aid to flow in.”