Critics have called on Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the United Nations envoy for Somalia, to resign because violence has escalated in the African nation since Ould-Abdallah assumed the post. More than 300 members of parliament have accused the U.N. envoy of being “the central perpetrator responsible for the serious and unfortunate legal and political crisis” within Somalia’s government,” the Associated Press reports.
Top U.N. officials are calling for an end to the recruitment of child soldiers in Somalia. UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake and U.N. Special Representative Radhika Coomaraswamy said the children must be released immediately. UNICEF and the office of the special representative are ready to provide assistance to help demobilize the recruited children, according to a joint statement issued by Lake and Coomaraswamy.
Meanwhile, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden appealed to armed groups occupying a medical clinic outside Mogadishu to depart= from the compound and allow Somali citizens, who need medical treatment, to access the facility. Hizbul Islam fighters attacked the clinic, run by Medecins Sans Frontieres; a Hizbul Islam commander and a security guard working for MSF clinic were killed while five other security guards of the clinic were injured.
Meanwhile, MSFopened a new outpatient clinic for children under 12 in Galkayo, which will provide free outpatient consultations and medication to children in the town and neighboring areas.
