Somalia’s partners must do more to foster peace, says UN official

A senior United Nations official has called on the international community to do more to plant seeds of durable peace in Somalia, while paying tribute to the African Union peacekeepers who last week gave their lives while supporting the people of the strife-torn nation.

The suicide bomb attacks on the Mogadishu headquarters of the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on 17 September reportedly killed at least 21 people, including the outgoing deputy force commander, Gen. Juvenile Niyoyunguriza from Burundi.

The Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, Charles Petrie,

spoke on behalf of the UN at a funeral service held on Sunday in the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, for the officers and soldiers from that country who were killed in the attacks.

“Our presence today in Burundi is to express our deep gratitude and our unwavering admiration for these soldiers,” he said, paying tribute to those who paid the ultimate price in supporting peace in Somalia.

He called on the international community to do more to foster peace, saying “it is our duty to accompany Somalia in this long process.”

A full investigation is under way into the circumstances of last week’s attacks, which were strongly condemned by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and several of Somalia’s international partners.