PRESS RELEASE 016/2011
The UN Special Representative for Somalia, Dr Augustine P. Mahiga, has welcomed the visit by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to Puntland saying “it marks a new chapter in the relations between the Transitional Federal Government and Puntland”.
The visit was facilitated by the UN Political Office for Somalia, ahead of the High Level Consultative Meeting on Ending the Transition which is due to be held in Mogadishu from 4 – 6 September. President Sheikh Sharif invited President Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud ‘Farole’ of Puntland to attend the Consultative Meeting.
The SRSG said the meeting was “a credit to the statesmanship of both President Sheikh Sharif and President Farole and opens the way for the advancement of national reconciliation and cooperation in Somalia. This is particularly critical as the Somali leadership and their partners prepare for the Consultative Meeting to adopt the Roadmap defining priority tasks for the next 12 months as agreed in the Kampala Accord.”
The SRSG paid tribute to the two leaders for setting a positive tone towards consolidating peace, saying he expected this to be replicated in other regional administrations.
“We, the regional and international partners, stand ready to render any support the people of Somalia require as they make efforts to move the peace process forward,” stated Dr Mahiga.
Somalia: SRSG welcomes President Sheikh Sharif’s visit to Puntland
Published: August 29, 2011
