Nairobi, 21 September 2010 – The UN Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, has noted the decision by the Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke to step down in the interest of peace and stability in Somalia.
Dr Mahiga said that the resignation of Prime Minister Sharmarke is yet another manifestation of the serious disputes within the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) and hopes that the TFIs will now put an end to the internal divisions, which have crippled the TFG’s ability to carry out its essential tasks. The Somali leadership must remain united and focused on its work.
“There is less than a year to go until the end of the transitional period in August 2011 and there is a huge amount of work to be completed,” said the SRSG. “Once again, I call on all those who support peace and security to demonstrate that they can work together in a cohesive manner. The international community and the Somali people are looking to their leaders for unity, not recurrent political crises and there should be no excuses for stalling the peace process in Somalia.”