U.S. Special Envoy Will Discuss Current Events in Somalia

The United States continues to support efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in Somalia and bring economic development to its people.
The United States believes that the key to long-term stability in Somalia, and to protecting the country from serving as a safe haven for terrorists, is inclusive political dialogue between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and major Somali stakeholders. The United States is the largest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, having provided more than $180 million in humanitarian and development assistance in the last two years.On July 31 at 8 a.m. EDT (12:00 GMT, 15:00 Nairobi/Somalia), please join Ambassador John Yates for a discussion on Somalia's new prime minister, the new Cabinet, security in Somalia and U.S. involvement with the country.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed Ambassador (retired) John M. Yates as special envoy for Somalia on May 17, 2007. As special envoy, he plays a critical role in engaging with representatives of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, other key stakeholders and regional and international partners to help Somalia create a stable government as it emerges from more than 14 years of instability and lawlessness.Ambassador Yates has represented the United States as an observer to the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference at Mbagathi, Kenya, which established the Transitional Federal Charter and the Transitional Federal Institutions, which serve as the framework for the re-establishment of governance in Somalia. A career Foreign Service officer with more than 40 years' experience, he was one of the State Department's leading Africa specialists before his retirement in 2002.If you would like to participate in this webchat, please sign up on the Ask America webchat registration page ( http://webchat.state.gov/?tid=unsecure.login&language=english ). Please tell us your preferred screen name; use of full names is not required.If you have participated in one of our previous webchats, use the same e-mail.We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program. You may also e-mail ( mailto:askamerica@state.gov ) questions without registering.The transcript of this webchat will be available on Ask America's webchat page ( http://www.america.gov/multimedia/askamerica.html ), where information about upcoming webchats is also available.Source: U.S. Department of State