Statement by Ambassador Francois Lonseny Fall, UN Special Representative for Somalia – International Day of Peace, 21 September 2006

Thursday, September 21, 2006
UNPOS

Press Release

Twenty  five  years  ago  today,  the  nations of the world voted for an  International  Day  of  Peace  – a day of ceasefire when guns would fall silent and  all communities and nations in conflict would suspend their differences. Somalia has brought passion, born out of violence and deep

personal experience, to the commemoration of Peace Day. Year after year, through  16  years  of  civil  war, without national institutions, civil society has rallied and put on a brave face.

Peace  Day  activities are scheduled in most major population centres in Somalia again this year. Women and youth groups traditionally lead these community activities  in  the  form  of sporting events, peace marches, public  discussions, music and dance; and so it will be again this week.

But the events of Baidoa and Mogadishu and other recent targeted attacks in the country, are a disturbing sign of what may lie ahead.

I  appeal,  as  I  have  on  many occasions, to those who lead competing visions for  Somalia,  to  pause  and  consider  the consequences of an escalating cycle of violence on the nation’s fragile social fabric.

Two particularly violent events this week have pushed peace deeper into the shadows.  The  murder  on Sunday 17 September of Sister Leonella, a Catholic Nun  who had served the needs of children in Mogadishu and the assassination attempt  on  President  Abdullahi  Yusuf  in  Baidoa  the following  day, introduced a new dimension of violence in the form of a car bomb attack.

I wish I could paint a bright picture for Somalia today, but there are too  many clouds,  too many uncertainties on the horizon. And there are far  too  many competing  interests that have too little to do with the profound   humanitarian   needs  of  the  civilian  population  and  the development of the country.

Nature  has  not been helpful to Somalia this year. Drought, followed by floods,  has  taken  a heavy toll in the central and southern regions in particular,  drawing emergency responses from the United Nations and the International  Community.  The  worst  drought  in 10 years has left 2.1 million people dependent on outside assistance.

This is both a moment of hope and a time of apprehension for Somalia.

Hope  that  the  parties  can  see  a  larger, brighter future for their children  in peace and reconciliation. Apprehension that if they choose to follow in the failed tracks of violence, Somalia’s suffering will continue.

There  are  17 UN offices at 28 locations throughout Somalia, responding wherever  they  can  to  the  needs  of  the affected communities. Their presence  and  the  success of mass accinations against polio and other diseases  and  the  delivery  of food and technical assistance, is proof that “Peace  Works”.  We  have  been  able  to  support  administrative institutions  in  policing,  in  providing  water,  health and education services.  Almost 70,000 more Somali children were able to attend school last  year.  This  is  not  just  good  for  the children, but it is the critical  foundation  we  need  for  peace and reconciliation.  Wherever security  opens  humanitarian space for the  international community, the population can draw the benefits.