(Mogadishu, 22 April, 2011) - The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia welcomes the references to Somalia in the final communiqué of the 9th extraordinary summit of Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC), issued in Dar ES Salaam, Tanzania, on 19 April, 2011. The IGAD Recommendation to extend the term of Parliament while leaving the details for the Somali stakeholders was a good start. The East African Community Summit support for the Somali government's decision to postpone elections scheduled for August 2011 to August 2012 in order to allow for the maintenance of the security and stabilization efforts underway is building on the IGAD initiative is very much welcome by the Somalia Government.
H.E. Abdulkareem Hassan Jama, Minister for Information, Posts & Telecommunications, said: “We thank the leaders of the East African Community for their solidarity with the People and the Government of Somalia at this critical time.
This support is an indication of the deep understanding and care of the EAC leadership about the situation in Somalia. It is our hope that the upcoming IGAD meeting will also continue its support of the momentum and the tangible progress on the ground in Somalia.
“The new Somali government is determined to work will all stakeholders in Somalia and lead them to a course of action that best serves the best interests of the nation. We are on the ground, we know the situation up-close and we appreciate the support of the region and International Community”
The purpose of the Government’s proposal is to postpone the elections for one year so that it can ensure continuity in its fight against Al-Shabab and Al-Qaeda terrorists and to be able to carry out and conclude the necessary reforms and transitional tasks.
“We call on all Somalis to unite around that proposal. We also ask the Somali politicians to put aside their political ambitions and differences at this difficult juncture and join hands to steer our country to the path of peace & stability” the Minister concluded.
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