VOA常速英语2007年-UN Says Saudis Should Lead in Stabilization of

The United Nations special envoy¹ for Somalia, Ahmed Ould Abdallah, says Saudi Arabia should take the lead in efforts to stabilize² Somalia. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has the story.

After 17 years and no success, Ould-Abdallah says it is time for the international community and the United Nations to either take a new approach or, essentially³, admit defeat and withdraw from Somalia.

The status quo, Ould-Abdallah says, may actually be adding to the suffering in Somalia, which UN officials call the worst humanitarian⁴ crisis in the world today.

But Ould-Abdallah says the United Nations should launch a diplomatic initiative to mobilize a consensus⁵ in the country. He also recommends an initiative to strengthen an under-funded African Union peacekeeping force.

The AU force is supposed to be comprised of 8,000 troops but so far only 1,600 Ugandan troops are on the ground. Ould-Abdallah says Saudi Arabia has the "moral authority" to oversee⁶ such initiatives, arranging technical and financial support, but not necessarily providing troops.

"As time is pressing, this new peace presence has become a must. For this, Saudi Arabia, the custodian⁷ of the two Moslem⁸ holiest sites and a close neighbor with many Somali refugees, more than 350,000, should be invited to play a leading role. Due to its successful contribution to peace in previous conflicts, Saudi Arabia can help."

Ould-Abdallah says the conflict becomes more dangerous to regional stability every day as young people, who make up two-thirds of Somalia's population, have no possibility of any work other than joining the conflict.

Ould-Abdallah made his comments in a briefing to the Security Council. A number of members support the idea of a peacekeeping mission, but the United Nations is stretched thin with a force of up to 26,000 troops scheduled to deploy⁹ to Darfur in January.