A New Day Coming In Somalia

With just a few months to go before the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia is scheduled to make way for more representative rule in August, the troubled nation’s leaders have started the process of convening a constituent assembly reflecting Somalia’s diverse clans and communities.

The effort, agreed to in last year’s Roadmap for Ending the Transition, is one of several steps aimed at giving Somalia a long-awaited permanent government, and with it the security and stability for which Somalis have long sought.

More than 100 traditional Somali elders have begun meeting in the capital Mogadishu as a first step toward convening the constituent assembly and later, a new national Parliament. The assembly will also vote to approve an interim Somali federal constitution. The United States is hopeful that these will be the first steps in a long journey toward direct elections and the adoption of a permanent constitution by 2016.

We are encouraged by the progress that Somalia has made so far, but we recognize that the nation’s political process is fragile and could be easily set back by the actions of spoilers seeking to prolong the current status quo. In conjunction with our international partners, we are committed to making sure that spoilers do not undermine Somalia's political transition.

We will continue to actively support Somali leaders who are making progress towards greater political stability and security.