Somalia: UN official commends election of speaker of regional assembly

“The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia Nicholas Kay welcomed the election of the Speaker of the Galmudug…by members of the assembly in Adaado, on 27 June,” said a statement issued this morning by the UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNSOM), whicj Kay heads.

Kay congratulated the newly elected speaker, Ali Ga'al Asir, and expressed satisfaction with the completion of this “important stage of the Central Regions' state formation process.”

He also commended Abdirahman Mohamed Husen, Minister of Interior and Federal Affairs, the Technical Committee, and the regional assembly members “for conducting a successful, transparent process of electing the Speaker and Deputy Speakers,” he said.

Stressing that the regional assembly now has the “critical task” of electing the President of the Galmudug Regional Administration, the Special Representative urged it to conduct this “important” process in a “similarly” transparent and credible manner, and to bring the state formation process to a “successful conclusion.”

UNSOM, the Special Representative assured, will continue to extend its “full support” to the state formation process, which will be brought to a conclusion with the election of a President, scheduled on 4 July.

Yesterday, the UN Security Council issued a press statement condemning the attack on 26 June against the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base camp in the locality of Leego, perpetrated by Al-Shabaab, which has caused the death and injury of many Burundian troops.

“The members of the Security Council underlined that neither this, nor any other senseless act of terrorism in Somalia, would dent their resolve to support the peace and reconciliation process in Somalia,” emphasized the statement.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe