Ban Ki-moon made the first visit to Somalia by a UN Secretary General since 1993 on Friday and pledged to open a UN political office in the war-ravaged capital Mogadishu in January. Ban said his visit was to show solidarity with the Somalia people and to pledge continued international support as the government and African Union troops fight Islamist rebels and politicians work towards elections next year.
The UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) has a few political officers on the ground in Mogadishu but high-level officials are based in Kenya's capital Nairobi due to security concerns. Diplomats in Nairobi said that for the plan announced by Ban to have significance at least one of the two top officials - Special Representative Augustine Mahiga and Deputy Special Representative Christian Manahl - should move to Mogadishu.
Ban was accompanied by Mahiga and the UN General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser. They met Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali. "We are honoured today to visit Somalia and we are here to show the people of Somalia our solidarity and how the UN could help the people of Somalia to a better future," Ban told a news conference. Ban urged all Somalis to support a political roadmap agreed earlier this year that is meant to lead to parliamentary and presidential elections next year and end a string of fragile transition governments.