Thank you, Mr. President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed ‘Laftagareen’ for the warm reception and hospitality which you and your team have once again provided us.

Today, I am accompanied by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Ambassador Francisco Madeira; and also by the new European Union Ambassador to Somalia, Ambassador Tiina Intelmann; and the new Charge d’Affaires from the Embassy of Norway, Haakon Svane.

The key reason for our visit is to consult with the South West State administration on the upcoming elections for the House of the People of the Federal Parliament, and we also had the pleasure to opportunity to meet with the Chairperson of the South West State Elections Implementation Team and to visit the offices of the State Elections Implementation Team as well as three of the planned voting sites for the upcoming [House of the People] elections.

Yesterday, in Mogadishu, we consulted with President Ahmed Abdi Karie ‘Qoorqoor’ of Galmudug, and so we expect to have even more consultations with the leaders of the other Federal Member States in weeks to come after this visit.

South West State has made commendable progress. It is one of only two Federal Member States to have successfully completed elections for the Upper House in line with the agreed timeline.  This is very encouraging, and we hope to see similar advances with preparations for the House of the People elections.

Our discussion with the President and his team focused on how a free, fair and credible election will be accomplished in South West State. There was agreement in our discussions that such an electoral process is a strong foundation for the legitimacy of any government, and I am pleased to state that the President underscored his commitment to ensuring a credible and transparent process.

The credibility of an election cannot be judged on the day of voting alone, of course. The process leading up to polling day itself is equally important. In this regard, there was also agreement on the importance of ensuring that the political space is open to all voices, and that freedom of speech and organization is a key requirement in this respect.

The President briefed us on the security situation in South West State and the challenges his administration faces. We have taken note of Al-Shabaab’s continued efforts to blockade key locations across South West State’s regions and remain deeply concerned by this.

We commend the efforts of the South West State security forces, the Somali National Army and AMISOM in countering the threat posed by the extremists. The sacrifices made by these forces in the fight against Al-Shabaab shall never be forgotten.

On the current tensions which have affected Somalia’s national leadership, we commend President Laftagareen for efforts to mediate between President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmajo’ and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble.

We sincerely hope that his efforts, and those of other Federal Member State leaders and other mediators, will help resolve any remaining differences. The need for dialogue, goodwill and putting the needs of all Somalis first and foremost is especially important now to allow Somalia to continue on its path of stability and reform.

The issue of ensuring that the minimum of 30 per cent women’s quota [for] representation also featured in our discussions. The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, was in Somalia just this past week to emphasize this point and President Abdiaziz took part in a meeting with her when this topic was discussed.

This issue of women’s participation remains a vital one for Somalia – not just for the elections, but in the wider sense of being important step to full representation and an inclusive society.

Mr. President, once again, thank you to you and your team for your time and hospitality. We look forward to continuing our discussions.

Somalia’s international partners remain committed to supporting South West State in the pursuit of a credible electoral process, as well as in furthering the shared goal of building together a better future for all the people of South West State.

Thank you very much.