The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira wishes the people of Somalia a happy 56th Independence Day anniversary.
The AU Special Representatives says this year’s celebration is special for Somalis as they not only remember the enormous sacrifice made by their forefathers in the independence struggle against colonialism, but also the progress made so far since the country pulled itself out of a prolonged civil war.
“I congratulate all Somalis who have continued to work tirelessly to make Somalia great. Those who have sacrificed their lives to ensure that the country is stabilized and that residents enjoy the peace they yearn for,” said Ambassador Francisco Madeira.
This year’s anniversary is an especially memorable one, as Somalia will be holding indirect elections to select members of parliament and the president, who will steer the country for the next four years.
AMISOM congratulates the Somali leadership for setting clear timeliness for the electoral process during the just concluded National Leadership Forum held in Baidoa. The electoral process agreed upon by the leadership will herald a new dawn in politics as the country moves towards universal suffrage and achieving gender parity in leadership.
“I strongly believe that Somalia is on the right path to becoming a peaceful and stable nation, where citizens enjoy freedom and contribute to the nation’s prosperity,” said Ambassador Madeira.
Since the establishment of AMISOM, in 2007, a lot has been achieved with the help of Somalis who want to live in a peaceful and prosperous nation. The joint operations conducted by AMISOM and Somali security forces, for example, have liberated large swathes of the country, which were hitherto under the control of terrorist militants Al-Shabaab.
AMISOM, the Federal Government of Somalia and regional states are working closely to stabilize and restore the rule of law in these liberated areas. To this end, AMISOM has so far trained thousands of police officers, who have since been deployed to various parts of the country to maintain law and order.
In addition, under the quick impact projects, (QUIPS), AMISOM has built and rehabilitated police stations in various parts of the country to bring security services closer to the people.
AMISOM’s major objective is to eliminate Al -Shabaab militants who have denied civilians the opportunity to exploit their full potential in a peaceful and stable environment.
Ambassador Madeira appeals to the international community not to abandon Somalia in this critical hour, but continue supporting AMISOM and the Federal Government to achieve their noble objective of ensuring lasting security and peace for the country.
