UN Conference On Somalia To Address Security And Stability

The United Nations and the Turkish government will jointly organize an international conference in Istanbul on May 21-23 to address the threats toward security and stability of Somalia.

UN News Service said on Tuesday that the high-level conference will also explore measures to strengthen efforts to combat rampant sea piracy off the Somali coast. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend the conference, it added.

In a resolution unanimously adopted on April 27, the U.N. Security Council put forward the possibility of establishing international tribunals to try pirates, and called for tougher legislation aimed at prosecuting and jailing suspects arrested off the coast of Somalia.

They also highlighted the role of the European Union, NATO, and other partners in bringing suspects to justice, in co-operation with Somalia's transitional federal government.

A government of national unity, which replaced a fragile Somali transitional government in 2007, faces the task of ending the country's more than a decade-old civil conflict.The militant groups have vowed to topple the U.N.-backed Somali government, alleging that it is too close to the West.

Currently, there are only two cities under the Somali government's control. The government plans to launch a major offensive to regain control of the capital, Mogadishu.

The insurgency, combined with drought, has left millions of Somalis dependent on food aid and many others fleeing the country. Many of the militants turned to piracy, attacking international ships off its coast.

Vessels are being seized frequently in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off the African coast despite the strong presence of international naval forces, including that of NATO and the European Union, in the region to protect one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

by RTT Staff Writer