The Secretary-General welcomes the agreement between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, reached in Djibouti yesterday. He commends the leadership of both parties for taking this important step towards a durable political settlement for Somalia, and hopes that other Somali groups and individuals will soon adhere to this agreement.

The Secretary-General will remain engaged in this exercise through the efforts of his Special Representative, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah. He calls on the international community to provide strong diplomatic and financial support for the effective implementation of this agreement.

The Secretary-General thanks the Government of Djibouti and the relevant regional organizations for their contributions to this positive outcome.