Top UN official discusses elections on first visit to Somaliland

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General James Swan made his first visit to the Horn of Africa on Sunday.

Swan discussed the importance of building Somaliland’s achievements and the impending elections.

“We also discussed the importance of completing the necessary preparatory work to proceed to credible parliamentary and local elections very soon and in this context, I am very pleased to have noted the agreement reached among political parties just yesterday to move forward in preparing for elections on an early timeline”, he said.

The two-day visit to Hergeisa was also to strengthen UN partnerships on humanitarian projects, economic development and capacity building for local governance and service delivery.

“It was inspirational to see the practical training being provided to equip refugees and asylum-seekers to support themselves and their families, and also to contribute to the host economy and the community here in Somaliland”, Swan added.

James Swan reiterated the U.N’s commitment to supporting Somaliland while getting to know about the progress and challenges facing women locally.

AP