With new Prime Minister in place, UN urges Somalis to move forward on transition

The United Nations envoy dealing with Somalia today congratulated Abdiweli Mohamed Ali on his appointment as the country's new Prime Minister and stressed the importance of all parties working together to carry out priority tasks such as finalizing the constitution.

Augustine Mahiga pledged the UN's full support in working with Mr. Ali, who was appointed by President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, whose own term – as well as that of the Transitional Federal Parliament – was extended for another year beyond the August 2011 deadline in a deal reached earlier this month.

Under the agreement, known as the Kampala Accord for the Ugandan capital in which it was signed, the President and the Speaker of Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, pledged to work together during the interim one-year period to implement priority tasks, in accordance with a road map to be agreed with timelines and benchmarks.

Mr. Mahiga, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), “looks forward to the rapid appointment of a new Cabinet and the endorsement of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet by the Transitional Federal Parliament,” stated a news release issued by UNPOS.

“He reiterates the importance of all parties working together to implement priority tasks, including finalizing the constitution, reforming institutions, enhancing security and rebuilding the security sector, continuing outreach and reconciliation, improving accountability and rolling out basic administrative and social services to ensure the stabilization of areas recovered from armed groups,” it added.

The strife-torn Horn of Africa nation has not had a fully functioning national government and has been wracked by factional warfare since 1991.