Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the EU on the election of a new president of Somalia
The European Union congratulates the new President of the Republic of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on his election.
The EU looks forward to working with President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the enlarged Transitional Federal Parliament and the Government of National Unity, to be appointed, to restore peace and unity in Somalia. We are also ready to work with Somali civil society and other key players to this end.
The EU commends the other candidates in the Presidential election, the Speaker of Parliament and the Honourable Members of Parliament for their hard work to achieve political progress. The EU further commends the active role of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, H.E. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, and expresses its appreciation to the Government of Djibouti for its unfailing support to the political process in Somalia.
While the Djibouti process has yielded significant results, the situation on the ground is still very fragile. In order to stabilize it, it is vital that the Prime Minister and Government of National Unity are appointed without delay. The EU also calls upon all political actors and relevant stakeholders in Somalia to join the peace process, and to refrain from new acts of violence. It underlines the urgent need to restore law and order, including respect for internationally recognized Human Rights standards and international humanitarian law, throughout the country. The EU underlines its multiple efforts to support the Somali peace process and to provide humanitarian emergency relief and other forms of assistance that will relieve the suffering of the Somali people. It looks forward to a situation where reconstruction and economic development can take a hold in Somalia.
The Transitional Federal Charter has been extended to August 2011. It is necessary for the new leadership to create and implement a plan that aims at establishing viable institutions without delay and within that timeframe.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
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Contact
Zuzana Opletalová
Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tel.: +420 224 182 052
GSM: +420 724 034 154
E-mail: press@mzv.cz
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:47
