Ping urges all parties in Somalia to show restraint, to give peace chance

Ping urges all parties in Somalia to show restraint, to give peace chance
Addis Ababa, January 7, 2009 (Addis Ababa) - The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Jean Ping called up on all the parties in Somalia to show maximum restraint, commit to dialogue, and thus give reconciliation and peace a chance. The Transitional Federal Institutions (TFI) ought to show leadership, he said.
Pledging continued and close follow up on what he described as an evolving situation in Somalia, Jean Ping particularly expressed concern with the deteriorating security situation there, according to an AU press release ENA obtained on Wednesday.
He called on all parties to come on board with a view to facilitating the promotion of an all-inclusive reconciliation process and the restoration of lasting peace, security and stability in Somalia.

The Chairperson urged the TFIs "...to show leadership and patriotism and rise to the many and daunting challenges confronting their country and its people by moving as swift as possible to elect a new president following the resignation of President Abdullahi Yusuf."
"The Commission both at the level of the chairperson and the commissioner for peace and security has been holding consultations with all stakeholders in a bid to work towards the early deployment of additional battalions in order to strengthen AMISOM and create improved conditions for an improved security situation, as the Ethiopian forces withdraw from Somalia in compliance with the Djibouti Agreement," the release said.
The Commission was making every effort to ensure that additional battalions from Uganda and Burundi would be deployed as soon as possible, it said adding, the commission was also pursuing consultation with Nigeria for the realization of a pledged troops deployment.

Ping also appreciated what he described was immense sacrifice paid by Uganda and Burundi and their commitment to searching lasting peace and reconciliation in Somalia.
The chairperson also expressed gratitude to a number of AU partners in particular the USA, UK the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and others for the support they provided.
However, the chairperson strongly urged the UN Security Council to fully assume its responsibility, by authorizing the deployment of an international stabilization force in Somalia to be followed by a UN peacekeeping operation that would take over from AMISOM and support the long term reconstruction and stabilization of Somalia.
He called on the Security Council to urgently approve the proposal submitted to it by the Secretary-General on a support package to AMISON.

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