UN chief urges Somalia to end transition by Aug. 20

Istanbul, June 1 (Xinhua-ANI): UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Somalia to end the transitional period by the end of August this year, pledging full UN support to the war-torn country.

The UN chief made the statement at the two-day Somalia Conference in Istanbul with the theme "Preparing Somalia's Future: Goals for 2015." Representatives from 54 countries gathered here to help Somalia look to the future.

"My message to this conference and the world is this: commit to long-term assistance for Somalia," Ban said.

The secretary general also called on Somalian leaders to take steps to improve security, advance political process and boost recovery, construction and development.

The second day of the meeting focuses on political issues, in particular preparing for the end of the mandate of Somalia's transitional government in August.

Somalia's transitional government is under pressure from its Western backers to stabilize areas under its control and enact political reforms that will allow for parliamentary elections and the draft of a new constitution.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since the ouster of President Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Since then, Somalis have endured 21 years of war and lawlessness, as warlords and militia groups competed for power. The fragile Transitional Federal Government, created in 2004, has exerted little authority, in part because of corruption and infighting. (Xinhua- ANI)