I would like to thank UNPOS for convening this important gathering. I would also like to extend my special thanks to Djibouti for hosting this gathering. We are not only neighbors, but also brothers and sisters. Djibouti has been home to many Somalis seeking refuge these past 20 years. Djibouti has constantly supported our political processes and most recently, has sent us its sons and daughters to join the AMISOM mission. Inshallah, one day, we will be able to repay the generosity and solidarity of the people of Djibouti.
We stand at a crossroads today. The international community is trying to decide whether Somalis can be trusted to complete the Roadmap process and bring the political transition to an end, or whether new political arrangements need to be made. Somalis are asking what the future holds and whether their leaders will deliver on the promises of the Transitional Federal Charter, the Djibouti agreement, the Kampala accord, the Roadmap, and most recently the Garowe Principles. They are also weary of the state of permanent transition of the past 20 years.
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