A scene of a suicide car bomb explosion at a checkpoint near the Parliament in Mogadishu, Somalia last year. (Photo: AFP/VNA)New York (VNA) – Vietnam called on all involvedparties in Somalia to promote dialogues and create conditions for people and politicalparties to participate in direct one-person one-vote elections, a Vietnamese diplomat told a UN Security Council teleconference on May 21.
Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative ofVietnam to the UN, voiced his concern over conflicts between Somalia’s Federal Government and regional states, particularly recent clashes in Jubbaland.
Quy condemned terrorist attacks in Somalia and urged theinternational community and stakeholders to strengthen collective effortsagainst al-Shabaab militant group to protect civilians, especially women andchildren.
He said Vietnam supports operation of the African UnionMission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) aswell as the UN Working Group to help the African country maintain peace,stability and development.
Addressing the event, James Swan, Special Representative ofthe Secretary-General and UNSOM Head, said the COVID-19 is not only having themedical and humanitarian effects but also a severe economic blow on Somalia.Even before the pandemic, more than 5 million Somalis required humanitarianassistance while the country is being badly hit by flooding and the worstdesert locust infestation in 25 years, he said.
The Government of Somalia projects an 11-percent decline innominal GDP for 2020, he noted.
This year, the country set to hold the first directelections since 1969, he continued. “The holding of peaceful, inclusive,credible and transparent one-person-one-vote elections would be a historic stepin rebuilding Somalia and would assist with the country’s continued democraticdevelopment.”
He expressed his concern over evolving al-Shabaab whoseterrorist operations continue unabated despite the COVID-19 outbreak, and urgedkey international partners to continue support Somalia’s security sector in thefuture.
He expected a commitment to dialogue and cooperation extendto relations between the Somali Federal Government and all of the member satesfor the interests of the Somali people./.
