Mogadishu – Your Excellency, First Deputy Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, Honorable Jaylani Nur Ikar, Your Excellency, Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, Leader of the Interim Jubba Administration, Your Excellency, Vice President of Puntland, Ambassador Mahamet Saleh Annadif, Special Representative of the African Union, Special Envoy of IGAD, Special Envoy of EU, Ambassadors of Sweden, Ethiopia, Kenya, Deputy Ambassador of Djibouti, Former Prime Minister Gedi and Former Prime Minister Abshir, Honorable Parliamentarians, Distinguished clan elders, members of civil society and representatives of women's groups, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Speaking last is a great honour but it is also a great challenge, because everybody has already said everything, I want to do three things if I can in this speech. One, to say many thank yous, second to say many congratulations and third to be rude and ask for more.

Today I am your guest here in Kismayo and I thank you very much for the opportunity and for all your hospitality. This is my first visit to Kismayo but it will not be my last.

Second, congratulations, and I have a long list! I want to begin with congratulating the Federal Government of Somalia for the political wisdom and the spirit of compromise that it adopted in Addis during the negotiations of the Addis Agreement.

Second, I want to congratulate Sheikh Ahmed Madobe on this very special day, the inauguration of the Interim Jubba Administration, a historic milestone.

In the last seven months I have got to know Ahmed Madobe a little bit. We met first in a hotel garden in Nairobi and after I've met him many times in Nairobi, in Addis, in Brussels and in Mogadishu. And I know that Sheikh Ahmed Madobe is a man of great experience, he is a strong man, he has experienced fighting and war, but I congratulate Ahmed Madobe now for choosing to do something that is much harder than fighting. Building peace and building a state are truly hard tasks and he has chosen those tasks and I congratulate him.

And thirdly can I congratulate IGAD and in particular Ethiopia as the Chair of IGAD and in particular Dr. Tedros of Ethiopia for the great diplomatic and political role they played in reaching the Addis Ababa agreement.

And then finally can I congratulate all the people of the Jubba region, Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba and Gedo, congratulate you for choosing peace and development and for rejecting terrorism and war.

As a guest, I have done what I should. I have said nice words to the hosts. And the nice words come from my heart, but I also said I would be a bad guest and ask for more. So I thank you for what you have given and what you have done, but I would like if I could humbly to request four more things.

First, I would like to request even more inclusion in your Assembly and when you finalise your Executive Council. I know it is a difficult job to satisfy everybody, all clans and all interests but I know that Sheikh Ahmed Madobe will try to make it as inclusive as possible. And he will make an Interim Jubba Administration that represents and works for all the people of Middle Jubba, Lower Jubba and Gedo. All the people and especially women.

My second humble request is for even more reconciliation. The conference in Mogadishu was a success and we are looking forward to the next conference here in Kismayo and the United Nations and others will try to support as many reconciliation conferences as are necessary.
Thirdly, can I ask also for more progress in the implementation of the Addis Ababa agreement? In particular, the integration of the militia. Whatever militia they are, all militia should be integrated in the Somali National Army, or disarmed and demobilized. I also look forward to progress in the administration of the port and airport, which according to the agreement would be handed over to the Federal Government in six months.

I know these questions are not just technical, they are deeply political questions but I know that with the spirit of inclusion and reconciliation, you will make progress.

And then fourthly, what we all need, is more progress against tackling terrorism and tackling Al Shabaab. And I salute AMISOM for their sacrifices and dedication they have shown for their African brothers and sisters.

So, I've been a bad guest, I said nice things to you and then I have asked for more, I have been a greedy guest. And you would be right to ask me what more I can do.

One of the speakers said earlier, the Jubba region was a broken state. And I agree, it's broken. So, let's together mobilize the resources and let's fix it.

The United Nations is with you and will stay with you, we have an office in Kismayo and we have a head of office, Benjamin Jonah, who is here today. And we are working with UN agencies to see that they return quickly to Kismayo to establish humanitarian and development programmes as quickly as security and others matters allow.

So, in the Jubbas you are not alone. Today is a demonstration that you are not alone. The international community is here in impressive strength from the African Union, from IGAD, the European Union, from all corners, and the United Nations is here. We will stay here and we will help you to build a better future for you and for your children.

I thank you.