By Hasmik Egian, Chief of Staff - United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS)

January 24th, 2013

No amount of hearing and reading about the “paradigm shift” in Somalia, could have prepared me for the incredible reality of the change that unfolded in front of my eyes as we were driven last week from southern to northern Mogadishu to witness the transformation of the city. These were my first sightings of life outside the “UN wire”.

The skeleton symbols of the past war were everywhere, standing next to the newly rising constructions of residential houses, shopping centres, small businesses, restaurants and cafes, new streets being built and old ones cleared of debris.

As I continued the journey with my UN colleagues, we saw what real change meant in Mogadishu. It was an eye opener to see how the bullet-ridden city has changed for the better. It was also confirmation that the successful end of the transition in August 2012, leading to the establishment of Federal Government, is truly benefiting the country. In the past, the streets of Mogadishu had been deserted, but as we drove we saw a vibrant residential area around Lido Beach, the ghosts of once elegant villas and former embassies, juxtaposed with the ever-present tented IDP camps. Still, it was all reminiscent of a place that must have been beautiful once.

The lighthouse near the fish market, was picture-perfect, with fishing boats floating in the azure waters of the Indian Ocean, while holed-out edifices of Ottoman and Italian architecture line the road close to the market area. We witnessed a stunning beachfront of cafes and restaurants serving delicious fresh juices and an array of hot drinks - from traditional tea to cappuccinos, as well as an assortment of local dishes, with families enjoying a peaceful afternoon of togetherness. Had it not been for the armed guards on the beach, it would have been a perfect place of peace and harmony in any other part of the world. Even more surprising was to see a group of young boys and girls playing football on the beach, full of laughter.

Amidst all the destruction, there was so much vibrancy, life and hope … no one would have believed that this would have been possible a year ago in a city/country which had become the quintessential “failed state”. It was a place where hope was the last thing on people’s minds and yet, there it was hope being materialised right in front of our eyes. Seeing “inside” Mogadishu and “feeling” the vibrancy was also a reminder of the great strides made by the Somalis, with support from the international community, including UNPOS, in bringing about a successful political transition which has helped, in turn, to herald these changes on the streets of Mogadishu.

Now that Somalia has a new President, Prime Minister and Parliament, there is a new sense of hope, hope that is paving the way to a brighter future for the people of Somalia.

See scenes of change in Mogadishu on the UNPOS FLICKR site: http://bit.ly/Won9rF and on @UNPOSomalia.

Sunday, 4 November - Two hostages from the Seychelles were released today from captivity after strenuous efforts by the Seychelles Government for over a year. The two hostages, Rony Tambara and Marc Songoire, were captured on 30th October 2011 when their fishing vessel FV Aride ship was attacked by Somali pirates 65 miles west of the Seychelles. The Hostage Relief Programme run by UNPOS and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assisted the Seychelles Government with links on the ground. While we welcome with relief the release of the two Seychelles nationals, our thoughts remain with the 147 crew still held on ships and the 41 other victims held on land. The Hostage Relief Programme will continue its efforts in providing its specialised knowledge and expertise on Somalia to help bring people home when it’s possible and put an end on the ordeal endured by the victims of piracy.

23 October 2012 - Over the last two weeks we have seen the release of two ships held by Somali pirates [one for over two years]. For the crews and their families a terrible ordeal has ended. Somali pirates continue to this date to hold five ships and four Dhows and 112 crews at sea.

However, this story is not a happy ending as it masks a hidden tragedy that is often untold and ignored not just by the world at large but even by employers of crews kidnapped. The fact is that there remains, as well as the ships mentioned above and their crews an almost unknown group of crewman whose ship has sunk or the ransom paid and part of the crew retained by pirates for further ransom. A case in point is the recently released MV Orna captured in December 2010. After nearly two years in captivity the ship owner negotiated a ransom for the ship which was released last Friday but with only 13 of the crew on board. The other six (Syria and Sri Lanka nationals) have been taken ashore by pirate groups to extract further ransom as the amount paid by the owner was insufficient.

There are 29 hostages currently held by pirate groups on shore in Somalia enduring the most horrendous conditions and often tortured and threatened over the phone or on video in an effort to extract a ransom often from a ship owner whose ship has already been ransomed or sunk. The incentive for ship owners is often low in these cases and in one instance the ship owner has gone broke and is out of business, as a result the ransom negotiations were left to families, friends and well wishers. UNPOS through its new Hostage Release program attempts to track these hostages and when and if released, recover them and safely return them home to their families. However, the UN does not engage in the negotiation of ransoms. We should also not forget a further 13 other hostages taken by Al Shabaab and held by them or pirate groups who endure similar if not more severe trauma as a ransom is not necessarily the objective.

Somali piracy remains at a low level currently and this is because the Industry Best Management Practice is being observed including the provision of armed guards on ships together with increased naval action at sea by European Union Naval Force, NATO, Combined Maritime Forces and others. But the lull is also due to an extended monsoon season, which has now ended. Again, we are seeing attacks beginning, so far without success.

As everyone involved in Somalia knows the solution to piracy lies on the land. The UN and other partners now seek to assist the new government in Mogadishu and regional states with capacity to fight this problem themselves so that pirates never get to the sea. Somalia has a rich maritime environment, which if properly managed and protected will become a major income generator to the economy as it recovers. To do this a maritime strategy is required with a proper legal framework of laws and treaties (including the difficult issue of an Exclusive Economic Zone), with a maritime law enforcement capability at national and regional level and capacity to Somali ministries so that they can manage the maritime environment for the benefit of all Somalia. In this way piracy, illegal fishing, toxic waste dumping and other crimes from the sea will be eliminated. But this must be a Somali owned process. The UN and the international community provide assistance support and knowledge to make it happen.

4 October 2012

When I look back at the year that has passed, I feel really energized as it has been a very prolific year in Somalia.

I joined UNPOS in December 2010 as the Senior Constitution Adviser and at that time the Consultative Draft Constitution (CDC) was only just published. This was a milestone but it still had many gaps on key issues and it seemed difficult to gain the political support required to make progress on filling those gaps. The process seemed stuck.

The Kampala Accord was signed and paved the way for the Principals, the Somali stakeholders and the International Community including the regional states to unite around the Road Map to End the Transition. The finalization of the constitution was a central pillar to the Road Map.

Despite initial skepticism, the Somali stakeholders with the support of the international community threw their energies into this process and through a series of political consultations (in Garowe, Galkayo, Addis Ababa and Nairobi) and experts’ inputs, the Draft Provisional Constitution was shaped and submitted for provisional adoption by the National Constitution Assembly (NCA) in August 2012.

I met active young women and men in civil society, returning members of the Diaspora who became a part of this process, as members of these various committees, as part of the NCA and the NFP and as contributors of ideas.

I remember at the Garowe II meeting there was a tense moment during the discussions where people had polarizing views. An old Somali woman shouted out that women had been shut out for too long and wanted to be part of the political process. She described the sufferings of the women and she then broke out into song and all those present joined in. It was clearly a song that resonated of a happier era and it created a moment where people came together and the tension eased. It was also at Garowe that the commitment was made to provide a baseline representation for women of 30%. This was a defining moment.

At the NCA session where poets were reading out the constitution to members, discussions took place in committees and there was overwhelming support for the provisional adoption of the constitution. Even the unfortunate suicide bombing did not detract the NCA from its task. There is now a Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia and until a referendum is held, there is the opportunity to implement it and to improve it and review it through broader consultations.

One of my most enduring memories was observing the swearing in of the New Federal Parliament at the Mogadishu International Airport. The Somalis were totally committed to meeting the symbolic deadline for the end of transition (20 August). It was an open-air ceremony and half way through the proceedings the members broke for prayers, worshiped and the ceremony resumed. As the evening grew darker, the lights of the AMISOM and UN vehicles illuminated the site. It ended as peacefully as it began. It was a most serene evening.

*Experts from the Independent Federal Constitution Commission, Committee of Experts, Technical Harmonization Committee and Technical Review committee contributed to the finalization of the Constitution

Mogadishu, 21 September 2012 

Today the world observes the international day of peace, established for the first time in 1981 by the General Assembly and observed since 2011 as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire. Peace has been a long time coming in Somalia. It is still fragile and with a lot of enemies.

However, the recent achievements in the political process give one clear message to all of us; that Somalis have embraced change and are longing for long-term peace and stability. The situation is still tenuous and unfortunately many individuals and groups would like to see the country pushed back into chaos and violence. Sometimes they demonstrate it in the most atrocious ways, as it happened yesterday with the deadly suicide bomb attacks on a popular restaurant in Mogadishu that claimed so many innocent lives. Today we remember the victims of this attack as well as all that lost their lives during the 20 years of Civil War and those who have survived and deal with their trauma every day.

Over recent months the Somali people have taken great steps towards peace and stability in their country and demonstrated to the world that they are determined to move forward. With a new constitution, federal parliament and president the people of Somalia are now more ready than ever before.

The theme of this year’s observance is “Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future”. Our duty is to support the Somalis in building a system based on institutions instead of individuals that can ensure sustainable peace for a sustainable future. Let us all observe one-minute of silence for those who lost their lives in the quest for peace and for a brighter future for Somalia.

Mogadishu, 16 September 2012

The SRSG for Somalia, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, congratulates His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh on the occasion of his inauguration as President of Somalia. 

“This is another great day for Somalia and the Somali people. Today in Mogadishu I was honored to bear witness as Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was inaugurated as his country’s President. This marks the end of the transitional period and the beginning of a new era for Somalia. The change that was envisioned in the Roadmap on Ending the Transition has arrived. The process was transparent, representative and Somali-owned and led,” said SRSG Mahiga.

“As the process moves forward,” Dr. Mahiga stated, “the UN Political Office for Somalia will continue to stand with the President in addressing key immediate tasks including stabilization of newly recovered areas, ensuring the integration and stability of the security services, delivering basic services to the Somali people and building a viable judiciary system.”

SRSG Augustine Mahiga

Mogadishu, 9 September 2012

There is an air of excitement as we draw closer to one of the most important dates in the history of Somali politics. Despite the many challenges mleading up to the end of the transitional period, there is great pleasure in knowing that the legislative arm of Somalia’s new goverment sits many of the country’s most highly qualified people.



Approximately 60 percent of the Members of Parliament hold university degrees. The Speaker, Professor Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari, is an attorney by trade with numerous educational achievements and is fluent in five languages: Somali, Arabic, English, Italian and Norwegian. Another Member of Parliament, Mr. Ahmed Samatar, was the James Wallace Professor of International Studies at Macalester college in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Samatar has lectured at many leading universities including Cornell, Harvard and the London School of Economics. Member of Parliament, Ms. Asha Haji Elmi, a well-known peace activist, holds a degree in Economics from Somalia National University as well as a Master of Business Administration from the United States International University in Kenya.

These are a few examples of the remarkable individuals who comprise the new Somali Parliament and who demonstrate dedication to the service of
their country in this exciting and transformative chapter of Somalia’s history.

In this new Parliament, there are many other people of action, integrity and determination; capable of delivering a new Somalia in the next four years.  Their collective action will make the needed difference Somali people are expecting from the Parliamentarians. 

As International Literacy Day, themed “Literacy and Peace,” was marked, let us reflect on the potential of this new, highly qualified Parliament and its potential to play an invaluable role in the Somali peace process. Just as literacy contributes to peace, bringing people closer to attaining

individual freedoms and fostering better understanding of the world, it also plays a key role in the prevention and resolution of conflict. In Somalia, both literacy and democratic processes go hand in hand to create a solid foundation for peace and stability.

While obstacles remain, Monday’s Presidential election will mark another milestone in the country’s political process, and so I call on legislators who are voting to ensure they uphold the standards already set while selecting the best candidate as the leader for their nation.