Somalia leader seeks international aid to save crisis-hit country

SOMALIA’S president urged world powers yesterday to help him fight the “raging enemies” of terror, corruption and poverty.

He was speaking at an international conference in London aimed at stabilising the crisis-wracked country under his new leadership.

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed told the gathering the conflict-ravaged state could thrive on the natural Somali flair for commerce if it could hold off the threats of famine, piracy and Islamic extremism.

The one-day conference, attended by world leaders, was aimed at striking a new agreement between Somalia and its international support network to speed up progress on security, development and the economy by 2020.

The troubled East-African country, which has frequently topped the Fragile State Index, is under a new president, prime minister and parliament this year and the conference is focused on underpinning stability in this electoral cycle.

“I will spare no effort to realise the promise of my campaign, which was to fight Somalia’s three raging enemies: terrorism, corruption and poverty,” the president, widely known by his nickname Farmajo, told the conference.

“I will take measurable steps to unleash the great potential of my people to develop their own country and to do what they know best: trade and commerce.”

The conference -- focused on national security, political infrastructure, economic recovery and combating drought – was co-chaired by Farmajo, United Nations SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Guterres said the drought was Somalia’s most pressing priority and he appealed for an additional $900 million (R12-billion) by the end of the year to prevent it worsening into a famine.

“Somalia has to rebuild security, foster transparency and accountability, deal with a crippling drought and avert famine,” he said.

“More than six million people in Somalia need assistance, or nearly half of the population.”

The conference was also looking to ensure that Somalia could take greater responsibility for its own security from the 22 000-strong African Union troop deployment.

May said Somalia now had a critical window of opportunity under Farmajo to take control of its own security and build its economic capacity. The meeting was attended by US Defence Secretary James Mattis, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, the presidents of Kenya and Uganda, the prime ministers of Ethiopia and Turkey, and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands and Qatar.

Mogherini pledged ß200-million (R2.9-billion) to bolster development and security. “We want Somalia to rise again,” she said.