UN must act now to prevent Al-Shabaab resurgence

[caydarus]

Declaring "time is of the essence," President Kibaki urged world leaders on Thursday to quickly provide Somalia with the resources needed to prevent al-Shabaab insurgents from regrouping.

 

Mr Kibaki spoke in New York at a United Nations "mini-summit" on Somalia convened on the sidelines of this week's UN General Assembly meetings.

 

The president asked the international community to enhance the capabilities of both the African Union military mission in Somalia (Amisom) and the country's Transitional Federal Government.

 

Increased assistance will enable the TFG to extend its control beyond the capital of Mogadishu, the president said.

 

"It will also enable AMISOM to deal effectively with additional and complex tasks such as the provision of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians," Mr Kibaki added.

 

"The needed assistance must be deployed quickly," he warned, "to forestall the regrouping of al-Shabaab."

 

"The TFG remains weak," Mr Kibaki said earlier in his address to the meeting chaired by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

 

He noted that Somalia's continued instability is "placing a lot of pressure on refugee camps and related social services as well as host communities."

 

Kenya is receiving as many as 2000 Somali refugees a day, the president said.

 

He also warned that Somali pirates "are becoming bolder and are now extending their attacks to Kenya and other international waters."

 

This worrisome development "cannot be addressed by the TFG alone," Mr Kibaki said.