UN delegation lands in South West State to meet regional President amidst political gridlock

A UN delegation lead by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, travelled to Baidoa on Thursday to meet with South West State regional President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed’ Laftagareen’. They met to discuss how the world body and the international community can help resolve the political deadlock that threatens the country’s stability ahead of contentious national elections.

“I reiterate that a spirit of consensus and collaboration, which means putting the good of the country first, is paramount at this time,” Mr. Swan said. “We in the UN urge all of Somalia’s leaders to make every effort to engage in dialogue in a collegial spirit to ensure that the national elections are held, based on broad consensus (and) rooted in the 17 September agreement, and that these elections are underpinned by transparency, fairness and inclusivity.”

On Tuesday, a broad list of Somalia’s international partners -including the United Nations – issued a joint statement where they urged top political stakeholders to “demonstrate leadership in the nation’s interest” and adhere to the widely endorsed September 17 agreement.

The UN delegation, which also included representatives from the IOM and OCHA, met with cabinet members from South West state to discuss humanitarian aid, development and the environment.

“It’s the first of our visits to the Federal Member States in the new year, and we have come to discuss with the President and his ministers the work of the United Nations in support of South West State. This ranges from support for ongoing reconciliation, security and stabilization efforts to providing humanitarian and development assistance,” James Swan told the media.

In his closing remarks, the UN envoy cautioned that while the COVID-19 pandemic may be showing signs of lowered intensity, it is still present in Somalia.
 
“The United Nations will continue providing support with surveillance to health authorities both in South West State and across all Federal Member States for as long as is required,” Mr. Swan added.