The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, visited Ethiopia today as part of a seven-nation mission to promote peace and reconciliation in Somalia.

Acting on recommendations contained in the UN Security Council Presidential Statement of 13 July 2006 (*), Ambassador Fall also plans to visit Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen for consultations with their respective leaders.

Among the most critical issues on Ambassador Fall's agenda is the third round of the Khartoum peace talks scheduled for 30 October between the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) based in Baidoa and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) established in Mogadishu.

Ambassador Fall had separate meetings in Addis Ababa today with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Amb. Said Djinnit, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU). They exchanged views on the current situation in Somalia.