New York, 25 February 2011 – The Secretary-General is following the reports of heavy fighting in Somalia. He deplores the high human cost of the conflict and expresses his sincere condolences to the families of those civilians, forces of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and soldiers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) killed.

The Secretary-General reaffirms his support for the TFG in its role as part of the Djibouti Peace Process, AMISOM and the Troop Contributing Countries as they operate under a difficult mandate, as endorsed by the Security Council. He welcomes the achievements being made in Mogadishu by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The current round of fighting underscores the need for all Somali and international stakeholders to redouble efforts to restore lasting peace and stability to Somalia.

In this critical moment, we hope the leadership of the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) will remain united and provide the necessary political guidance, support and encouragement to the forces of the TFG and AMISOM.