STORY: In Garowe on first regional visit, UN envoy

affirms support to development and reconciliation

efforts
TRT: 4:38
SOURCE: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ SOMALI/ NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 8 JULY 2019, GAROWE, SOMALIA

1. Wide shot, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for

Somalia (SRSG), James Swan alighting from the plane at Garowe
2. Med shot, SRSG, James Swan being met by UNSOM officials at
Garowe airport
3. Wide shot, SRSG, James Swan walking, upon arrival at Garowe
4. Med shot, convoy of cars driving away from the airport
5. Med shot, driving shot
6. Wide shot, Puntland presidential palace
7. Med shot, hoisted flags of Somalia and Puntland
8. Med shot, SRSG, James Swan being received by the President of
Puntland, Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni at the presidential palace
9. Med shot, SRSG, shaking hands with Puntland government officials
10. Med shot, SRSG, James Swan and President of Puntland, Said
Abdullahi Mohamed Deni interacting at the presidential palace
11. Med shot, Puntland government officials listening during the interaction
12. Med shot, SRSG, James Swan talking during the meeting with the
President of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni
13. Wide shot, President of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni giving
the SRSG gifts
14. Med shot, SRSG, James Swan receiving the gift from the President of
Puntland, Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni
15. Med shot, SRSG, James Swan thanking the President of Puntland,
Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni and they shake hands
16. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) JAMES SWAN, SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR
SOMALIA (SRSG)
“I am pleased to have visited Puntland and engaged in a very constructive
meeting with President Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni along with members
of his cabinet. After spending my first two weeks in Mogadishu where I have
had excellent initial contact with the Federal Government of Somalia
leadership, this is my first visit as the Special Representative of the Secretary
General, my first visit to a federal member state. We are looking forward to
working with the people of Puntland and the federal member state
administration in order to implement the UNSOM mandate and the
programmes of UN agencies more effectively and this includes our efforts to
 support inclusive dialogue among the federal government of Somalia and the
federal member states”.

17. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) SAID ABDULLAHI MOHAMED DENI,

PRESIDENT OF PUNTLAND
“We had a fruitful meeting with his delegation together with our cabinet
regarding the UN’s work in Somalia particularly in Puntland including
development, humanitarian assistance, security and political issues. We
discussed issues that are of particular importance to the peace process in
efforts to rebuild and improve good governance in Somalia which is crucial to
attaining unity in Somalia as well as advance federalism in Somalia”.

18. Med shot, SRSG, and President of Puntland shaking hands

19. Wide shot, SRSG and President of Puntland walking away
20. Wide shot, SRSG, James Swan having a meeting with the UN staff
working in Garowe
21. Med shot, UN staff listening during the meeting
22. Med shot, UN staff listening during the meeting
23. Wide shot, UN staff talking during the meeting
24. Med shot, SRSG, James Swan, listening
25. Wide shot, SRSG, James Swan, talking during the meeting
26. Wide shot, SRSG and UN staff in a meeting
27. Med shot, UN staff listening
28. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) JAMES SWAN, SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR
SOMALIA (SRSG)
“The further you get from the headquarters and the further you get from
the capital, the more it requires individual initiative, individual
leadership, individual resourcefulness to solve problems and make
something happen without a lot of support”.

29. Wide shot, SRSG, being shown around the project site
30. Med shot, SRSG being shown around the project site
31. Med shot, SRSG being shown around the project site and his handed a
melon from the farm
32. Med shot, SRSG holding the melon
33. Wide shot, WFP farm with drip lines
34. Med shot, man digging with a hoe in the farm
35. Med shot, women showcasing some to the agricultural produce they
plant at the farm
36. Med shot, a woman preparing onions as the SRSG interacts with
another woman

In Garowe on first regional visit, UN envoy affirms support to development and

reconciliation efforts

Garowe, 9 July 2019 – On his first trip to a regional centre, the new United Nations
envoy to Somalia reiterated the world body’s support for development programmes
and inclusive dialogue between the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal
Member states.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, visited

yesterday Garowe, the capital of Puntland, a Federal Member State in the country’s
northeast, to meet with President Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni and hold
discussions on key UN programmes and activities.

“I am pleased to have visited Puntland and engaged in a very constructive meeting

with President Said Abdullahi Mohamed Deni along with members of his cabinet,”
said Mr. Swan, who is also the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in
Somalia (UNSOM).

The UN family is widely engaged in numerous activities in Puntland, ranging from

good offices to emergency humanitarian assistance to medium- and long-term
development projects.

“We are looking forward to working with the people of Puntland and the Federal
Member States’ administrations to implement the UNSOM mandate and the
programmes of UN agencies more effectively. And this includes our efforts to
support inclusive dialogue among the Federal Government of Somalia and the
Federal Member States,” Mr. Swan noted.

He also called for a peaceful resolution of the dispute between Puntland and
Somaliland, in the Sool and Sanag region, which in the recent months has led to
sporadic fighting in the vicinity of Tukaraq.

During a joint press conference, President Deni revealed that discussions with the
UN envoy had focussed on development, humanitarian assistance, security, and
politics.

“We deliberated on matters of particular importance to the peace process and

efforts to rebuild and improve governance in Somalia, as well as advancing
federalism,” President Deni remarked. He added that Puntland has a crucial role to
play in pacifying Somalia.

“We made it clear that we are ready to play our role in efforts to move Somalia
forward,” President Deni noted.

President Deni also hailed the new UN envoy for Somalia over his decision to choose
Puntland as his first destination outside Mogadishu.

The UN special representative also met with United Nations staff in Garowe and
commended them for the commitment to supporting Somalia and improving lives of
the Somali people.
Mr. Swan was accompanied on the trip by the UN World Food Programme (WFP)
Country Director, Laurent Bukera, and the Head of Office of the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Justin Brady.

While in Puntland, he also toured a WFP-supported project in Laac-dheere aiming to

enhance community resilience and improve livelihoods of local communities. The
SRSG visited a local farm where a solar-powered irrigation system has improved
vegetable and fruit production for the village agriculture cooperative.

ENDS