Secretary-General congratulates Somalia on five decades of independence

Marking the 50th anniversary of Somalia’s independence, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the courage of the impoverished nation’s people and reaffirmed the United Nations’ support to help them realize their dream of living in peace, stability and prosperity.

Somalia, which is in the midst of one of the worst humanitarian and political crises in the world, has not had a functioning Government for some 20 years.

The Horn of Africa nation continues to be plagued by fighting between Government forces and rebels, as well as by drought, poverty, food insecurity and heavy flooding.

It remains the scene of one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), some 580,000 refugees and nearly 3 million people dependent on aid, out of a total population of nearly 8 million.

“The Secretary-General invites all Somalis to reflect back on that founding moment in their history when the people of Somalia looked to the future of their nation with pride and great expectation,” according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.

“It is that vision of a united, strong and prosperous Somali nation that should direct the present and the future.”