I would like to correct a number of facts regarding an opinion piece by Rasna Warah on the United Nations in Somalia.
 In line with the announcement by the UN secretary-general, I moved to Mogadishu last week with key staff from my UN Political Office for Somalia.

This move has been widely welcomed by ordinary Somalis inside the country and in the diaspora, the Somali government (including Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali) and the international community.
The move allows UNPOS to increase its daily engagement with the Somali political process and allows the UN to have a greater understanding of the views and wishes of the Somali people.

This is particularly important as, within the next few months, the Somalis will agree on a new constitution that will be a cornerstone for returning the country to peace and stability. This, along with the reform of Parliament and other key tasks, is the basis of the roadmap that my office is helping the government to implement.

Of course we are not the first to arrive in Mogadishu — there are currently around 950 UN staff in Somalia with six UN agencies having a permanent presence in Mogadishu.

I believe that this is a moment of great opportunity for Somalia. UNPOS will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Somali people. We will do everything we can to help but ultimately peace in Somalia will be achieved by the Somalis themselves.

Ambassador Augustine P. Mahiga,
Mogadishu.

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