Ask the Ambassador: Current Events in Somalia

   Monday, July 28, 2008

Ambassador John Yates

The United States continues to support efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in Somalia and bring economic development to its people. The United States believes that the key to long-term stability in Somalia and to protecting the country from serving as a safe haven for terrorists is inclusive political dialogue between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and major Somali stakeholders. The United States is the largest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, having provided more than $180 million in humanitarian and development assistance in the last two years. Please join Ambassador John Yates for a discussion on the new prime minister, the new Cabinet, security in Somalia, and U.S. involvement with the country.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed Ambassador (retired) John M. Yates as special envoy for Somalia on May 17, 2007. As special envoy, he plays a critical role in engaging with representatives of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, other key stakeholders and regional and international partners to help Somalia create a stable government as it emerges from more than 14 years of instability and lawlessness.

Ambassador Yates has represented the United States as an observer to the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference at Mbagathi, Kenya, which established the Transitional Federal Charter and the Transitional Federal Institutions, which serve as the framework for the re-establishment of governance in Somalia. A career Foreign Service officer with more than 40 years' experience, he was one of the State Department's leading Africa specialists before his retirement in 2002.

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Source: America.org, July 28, 2008