Mogadishu, 21 September 2019—Today, on International Day of Peace, I send my best wishes for peace, prosperity and security to the wonderful people of Somalia on behalf of all of us here at the African Union Mission in Somalia.
I want to pay special tribute to the brave men and women of AMISOM and of the Somali Security Forces who have sacrificed so much to end violence and promote peace, security and stability in Somalia. They are the true embodiment of the peace we seek.
The centerpiece of our mission is to help usher a Somalia where girls and boys can freely go to school, where farmers work the land to feed the people, where communities have access to clean water, medicine and shelter, where there is free movement of goods and people, where mutual tolerance and peaceful co-existence prevail. With the return of peace in many areas across Somalia, I am happy to say that peace dividends are beginning to show; business and commerce is expanding, the aviation industry is thriving, entrepreneurs are emerging, the youth are exploring education and employment opportunities to support themselves and their families and terrorists are losing ground.
The progress we see so far is also why the world must come together to support Somalia, for, sustainable peace can only be achieved if we work together for the ideals of a safe, secure and democratic world.
