UN Secretary General Arrives in Mogadishu

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Mogadishu today on a surprise visit to Somalia. “I believe Somalia is at a critical juncture, a moment of fresh opportunities,” he told a news conference at Mogadishu’s presidential palace. the UN Secretary General, who didn’t announce his visit for security reasons, called on the armed opposition of the Al-Shabab (Youth Islamist Movement) to halt violence and to participate in the peace process in the country. He also announced that the United Nations will open in next January a political affairs office in the capital Mogadishu, which is currently run from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The Islamic Youth Movement is seeking for years to overthrow the transitional government which backed the international community.