Deputy UN chief visits Somalia to show solidarity with people, government

UN Deputy Secretary General, Jan Eliasson, arrived in the Somali capital Mogadishu earlier today to show solidarity with the people and Government at this crucial time, the UN press office said in a statement. He held meetings in Villa Somalia, the seat of the Federal Government, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Speaker of the Federal Parliament Mohammad Sheikh Osman Jawari and Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. "We will be at the side of Somalia at this crucial time," he said. "The meetings we have had today I think show the solidarity that flows from many parts of the world towards Somalia. "We want to send a message to the Somali people: you are not alone. We are there beside you," he added. During his visit the Deputy Secretary General will also engage with civil society, the diplomatic community and UN staff in the country. This is Eliasson's second visit to Somalia. He wanted to see for himself the progress made and challenges faced in stabilizing Somalia after 22 years of conflict. Chief among these challenges is Al-Shabab's terrorist activities inside and outside the country. His first visit was in 1992 when he was Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Mogadishu in 2011.