Senior UN official tells Somali leader to reach out to opposition

A senior UN official has called on the transitional government of Somalia to reach out to other dissidents in order to strengthen its authority in the Horn of Africa nation.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe who visited Mogadishu on Wednesday also expressed his solidarity with the people of Somalia.

Pascoe, who was accompanied by the UN Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, met President Sheikh Sharif and cabinet ministers at the presidential compound in Mogadishu.

Pascoe encouraged the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to reach out to other groups and to focus on governing the country.

"It is crucial to show the long suffering people of Somalia that the government can deliver basic services," said Pascoe. "The international community is very interested in supporting the TFG, but the Government itself needs to do more and learn to work as a cohesive team."

Pascoe and Mahiga also met the Force Commander and members of African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and visited the AMISOM hospital where they witnessed the AU peacekeeping troops treating Somali civilians.


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