MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 6 (UPI) -- Ending the formal transition period for the Somali government in August will require an international effort, a U.N. special envoy said.
There hasn't been a formal central government in Somalia since the 1990s. The transitional administration in Mogadishu in September outlined the path to end its interim authority by Aug. 20.
Augustine Mahiga, U.N. special envoy for Somalia, told members of the Security Council through a video conference from Mogadishu that a coordinated effort was needed to end the transitional period.
"Ending the transition on time will require more efforts and support from all international actors in the coming months," he said. "We must ensure that all of us are pulling together in this regard."
Mahiga said Somali representatives need to draft a new constitution by the end of the month and appoint candidates to a 1,000-member constitutional assembly by the end of April.
"We do not have the luxury of time," he said.
Al-Shabaab, a militant group tied to al-Qaida, controls parts of Somalia though it's lost ground amid an offensive supported by troops from the African Union.
World leaders during a one-day conference in London in February expressed optimism that Somalia was turning the corner after years of civil war.
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Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/03/06/Seize-moment-in-Somalia-UN-says/UPI-53701331056627/#ixzz1oOFgUwyg
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