STORY: In Kismayo, UN envoy to Somalia affirms that

terrorist acts won’t derail Jubaland’s progress

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DATELINE: 15/JULY/2019, KISMAYO, SOMALIA

In Kismayo, UN envoy to Somalia affirms that terrorist acts won’t derail Jubaland’s
progress

Kismayo, 15 July 2019 – On his first visit to the southern state of Jubaland since his
arrival, the new United Nations envoy to Somalia expressed his solidarity with its
residents in the wake of last week’s deadly terrorist attack.

“On behalf of the UN team in Somalia I present my deepest condolences to the

families of those who lost their lives in the attack and I wish a speedy recovery to the
injured. There is no political or ideological justification for such atrocities – the
United Nations stands with the people of Jubaland as they deal with this terrible
tragedy," the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James
Swan, said at a media encounter in the state’s capital, Kismayo, on Monday.

"I also share with the people of Jubaland the determination not to let a despicable
act of terrorism derail the progress that Jubaland has made towards reconciliation
and political stability as a Federal Member State of Somalia,” he added.

The UN Special Representative had gone to Jubaland to familiarise himself with the
socio-economic and political affairs in Jubaland, as well as meet with its top officials.
He met with Jubaland’s President Ahmed Mohamed Islam 'Madobe’ and other
administrative officials, and their discussions focused on a range of issues that
included security, economic development, and governance.

Jubaland state is set to conduct an electoral process in August, with elders selecting
members of the regional assembly, who will, in turn, choose the president.
“We deliberated, among other things, the political dispensation in the country,
particularly the upcoming Jubaland elections,” President Madobe told the media in a
joint media encounter with Mr. Swan after their meeting.

The Jubaland leader noted that the state’s electoral process would take place on
time, adding that the regional administration will ensure the exercise is conducted in
a secure and peaceful environment.

In his remarks to the media, the UN Special Representative also flagged that the
electoral process would enhance prospects for peace, stability, and economic
development in Jubaland as well as the rest of the country.

“I underscored the strong views of the international partners that this process must
take place without violence, on time, without interference and follow a fair and
transparent process,” Mr. Swan noted.

The UN official’s other meetings in Kismayo included encounters with the

chairperson of the Jubaland Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Dr.
Hamza Abdi Barre, and members of the regional assembly.

The visit came in the wake of a terror attack on a hotel in Kismayo on 12 July, which
left at least 26 people dead and many others injured. The attack drew widespread
condemnation, including from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN
Security Council.

On the visit, Mr. Swan was accompanied by senior officials from the Office of the UN
High Commissioner Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Takeshi Wayama and Justin Brady, respectively.

The trip was the UN Special Representative’s second visit outside of the capital,
Mogadishu. He visited the northern state of Puntland last week, where he reiterated
the UN’s support for development programmes and inclusive dialogue between the
federal government and the federal member states.

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