Monitoring desk
\nUNITED NATIONS
\nThe UN Security Council on Saturday expressed regret after Somalia expelled a UN envoy but added that it expected \u201cfull cooperation\u201d between Somalia and the United Nations.
\nThe council released the unanimous statement after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday agreed to appoint a new UN envoy to replace Nicholas Haysom, who was declared persona non grata by the Mogadishu government on January 1.
\nHaysom, a South African lawyer and experienced diplomat, was ordered to leave after he questioned the government\u2019s arrest of an Al-Shabab defector who ran for election.
\nThe British-drafted statement expressed \u201cregret\u201d for the decision and expressed full support for the UN mission to Somalia.
\nCouncil members reiterated \u201ctheir expectation of full cooperation between Somalia and the United Nations,\u201d it added.
\nThe council met behind closed doors on Friday to discuss a response to Somalia\u2019s decision but China asked for more time to consider the text, diplomats said.
\nChina presented amendments on Saturday to stress that the council respects Somalia\u2019s \u201csovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity,\u201d diplomats said.
\nThe council statement said 2019 will be a \u201ccritical year for Somalia\u201d and called on its leaders \u201cto work together to advance political and security reforms.\u201d
\nOn Friday, Guterres\u2019 spokesman said the UN chief \u201cdeeply regrets\u201d the decision to expel Haysom but that he nevertheless intends to appoint a new envoy. Guterres spoke twice by phone with President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to urge him to reverse the decision but the Somali president told him on Friday that Haysom would not be welcomed back, diplomats said.
\nHaysom, who took up the post of UN envoy in October, warned the council during a meeting on Thursday of a risk of conflict during elections in Somalia\u2019s federal states due to tensions with the central authorities. The arrest of Muktar Robow could discourage other Al-Shabab militants \u201cwho may be considering exchanging violence for a political path,\u201d said Haysom.
\nRobow, who defected from the Islamist Al-Shabab group in 2017, was arrested last month and flown to the capital Mogadishu after announcing his bid for the state presidency in South West State.
\nThe arrest sparked protests in the southwestern town of Baidoa on December 13-15 that were violently suppressed by Somalia\u2019s security forces, leaving at least 15 dead.
\nIn a letter sent to the government, Haysom requested an investigation of the protest violence and information on the legal basis for arresting Robow.
\nThe UN mission in Somalia is tasked with supporting peace efforts and the strengthening of government institutions in the Horn of Africa nation, which were ruined by decades of civil war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monitoring desk UNITED NATIONS The UN Security Council on Saturday expressed regret after Somalia expelled a UN envoy but added that it expected \u201cfull cooperation\u201d between Somalia and the United Nations. The council released the unanimous statement after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday agreed to appoint a new UN envoy to replace Nicholas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n