News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

Mogadishu – The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, extends his heartfelt greetings to the Somali people as they celebrate Eid al-Adha, marking the end of Hajj, the holy pilgrimage to Mecca. “As Somalia celebrates Eid al-Adha, I wish all Somalis and their…

"Somalia's enormous potential will not be realised unless there is stability." That was the key message of the United Nations envoy to Somalia at a gathering of leaders from the country’s Federal Member States over the past two days. Starting on Monday and held in the southern port city of Kismayo…

Ahmed Diini Hassan knows only too well the importance charity work plays in the lives of the poor and vulnerable members of society. Born in 1956, Ahmed, who hails from Hiiran region, was orphaned at a tender age, leaving him dependent on charity of others. “I was only two years when I lost my…

Ahead of the completion of his assignment at the top UN official in Somalia, Michael Keating took some time out to look back on his years of service and the outlook for the Horn of Africa country. Mr. Keating’s appointment as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia and head of the…

PRESS RELEASE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN SOMALIA: STILL NOT A GIVEN UN report finds despite some advances, lack of legislation hampering progress Mogadishu – Somalia has made progress in ensuring the right to freedom of expression but needs to do more to end the challenges that remain – including…

Most graduates in business tend to choose a career involving accounts, finance and marketing, to name but a few. Not so for Abdinasir Muhumed Abdi. Despite finishing university with a degree in business administration, the 33-year old decided that his calling lay with educating college students in…

Najah Aden Farah is 22-years-old and already a published author of four books. But her love of books is not limited to writing them – it extends to helping her fellow Somalis improve their literacy, especially as many missed out on an education, including basic skills such as reading and writing…

Mogadishu – The top United Nations official for Somalia has encouraged the country’s authorities to proceed quickly with the ratification of a treaty safe-guarding and promoting the rights of people with disabilities. Currently, Somalia has no national or legal policy framework regarding people with…

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as his Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia. He will succeed Michael Keating of the United Kingdom effective 1 October 2018…

Madam President, My tour of duty comes to an end next week. On the day that I arrived in Mogadishu in January 2016, I was taken straight to the President’s office to discuss a threat by federal member states’ to suspend cooperation with the central government. When I left Mogadishu two days ago, the…

Briefing the Security Council for the last time in his capacity as UN Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating called on all Somalis to draw strength from the positive transformations going on inside the country and work collectively for the common good. “The future of Somalia is in the…

Abdifatah Hassan Ali’s childhood was forged in a crucible of civil war and violence. By his own account, he fled the chaos and insecurity of Mogadishu on ten occasions, only to find his way back to the war-torn city each time. “During 2007 and 2008 I wanted to leave this country, but I was persuaded…