Progress 'extremely fragile' in Somalia

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Monday warned that the progress achieved in Somalia is "extremely fragile," urging the international community to "act with urgency" to sustain efforts in a decisive moment for the Horn of Africa country.

In an open UN Security Council debate on Somalia, Ban said that the recent "progress is extremely fragile -- and will likely deteriorate in the coming months as we move into the lean season before the next and most important harvest period in August."

With major developments that have occurred in the last month, Ban said it is critical to maintain the momentum in this "critical moment."

He listed some of the advances, such as the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2036 on an expanded and well-resourced African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the Garowe II Consultative Conference held in February on constitution-making in northern Somalia, and the London Conference also held in February aimed at finding a solution to the crisis in Somalia.

"These developments, coming in quick succession within less than a month, present a rare opportunity to the Somali people and the international community to rapidly advance the peace process, albeit with guarded optimism, and to bring Somalia fully back to the international arena," Ban said.

He said that the military gains need to be consolidated through continued progress by Somalia's political leaders in the implementation of the roadmap for ending the transition.

"The London Conference reiterated the commitment of the international community to strongly support the establishment of the new institutions that would lead to ending the transition; to provide support to AMISOM that would allow it to sustain the political process; and to provide sustained international support for recovery and development," Ban noted.

He urged the 15-member Security Council to "show its continued engagement and support in the political, security and recovery processes."

"As I emphasized at the London conference, in particular to Somali leaders, a new window of opportunity for peace and stability has opened," Ban said. "But it is a narrow window ... All stakeholders must act with urgency and unity of purpose ... We cannot afford to miss this opportunity."

Somalia has been the scene of a civil war between the national Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and insurgent groups for years, although the TFG benefited in 2011 from the exit of militant group Al-Shaabab from the national capital Mogadishu.

AMISOM has worked alongside the TFG to stabilize Somalia since 2007.