Sunday, January 30, 2011
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon |
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday urged greater support for the Transitional Federal Government and the UN-backed African Union Mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM.
Ban made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the 16th African Union (AU) summit which kicked off here in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
The support needed for Somalia's fragile government and the AU peacekeeping forces included 4,000 additional troops for AMISOM, and adequate technical, logistical and financial support, Ban said.
"We must use the next few months to build on recent successes and ensure that the transition in August lays a foundation for stability and progress," the UN chief said.
Meanwhile, more needed to be done to confront the growing threat of piracy, Ban added.
The summit, held under the theme "Towards Greater Unity and Integration Through Shared Values," gathered heads of states and governments from AU member states to discuss issues including Africa's integration as well as peace and security, among others.
Source: Xinhua