AU, UN delegation visits Mogadishu

TF.SF mogadishu somalia 01-25-2009

high level African Union, United Nations delegation led by special envoys arrived in the restive Somali capital Mogadishu on Monday where they held talks with Somali leaders.Mr. Boubacar Diara, the newly-appointed AU representative to Somalia and UN special envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah accompanied by Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security were welcomed at the airport by AU peacekeeping force commander General Nathan Mugisha of Uganda.The officials held wide range discussions with the senior members of the Government, including President Sheikh Sharif and Prime Minister Omar Ali Sharmarke.“During the meeting, the parties discussed the current priorities and ongoing activities in the area of infrastructure,” said a statement from UN envoy’s office.“The things that we discussed in the meeting include the peace progress, reconciliation and humanitarian assistance to Somalia,” said the PM after meeting.The delegation left the war-torn capital peaceful but later in the day explosion rocked the main AU headquarters at the airport, where several people, mostly innocent civilians were reported either killed or injured.AU forces spokesman Gen. Barigye Bahoku confirmed the blast but could not give details on the cause and the casualty figure.He later said the victims are innocent Somali patients who visited a clinic inside the base.Somali insurgent groups wage daily attacks on the AU forces, which provide protection to the fragile UN-backed Somali government in the capital Mogadishu