UK in Somalia

20th November 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

Politics, partnership and patience.

So the final piece of the post-Transition jigsaw has finally fallen into place. Prime Minister Abdi Farah  Shirdon’s 10-person Council of Minister is now approved – overwhelmingly – by Parliament and with it, the final act of a two-month process to find Somalia’s new leaders. Put before Parliament last week, their near-unanimous approval of the […]

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11th September 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

Somalia: stepping into the future

Yesterday, Somalia marked a major milestone in its recent history. After two decades of civil war, and a year after the Roadmap was agreed, the Transitional Period finally concluded with the election by MPs of new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud. This was the first such election inside Somalia for many years and came just weeks after […]

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22nd August 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

Somalia: Taking Stock of the Transition

On Monday, Somalia marked a significant milestone in its history. Twenty years after the country fell into conflict, a new Federal Parliament was inaugurated – paving the way to end the Transition in the next few days, and opening the first legislature to be formed inside Somalia since 1991. This is a huge achievement, both for the […]

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20th July 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

Hargeisa Book Fair – Arts, Culture and so much more

And so to Hargeisa for the Hargeisa International Book Fair, an inspiring gathering of artists, authors, poets and more. Established by Jama Musse Jama and organized by the wonderful Ayan Mahamoud and her excellent team, the Book Fair is now in its fifth year. Hargeisa may have no theatre, no permanent library and no cinema, […]

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16th July 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

Olympic dreams

There are days when you realise just how much of a privilege it is to be an Ambassador. Growing up in the UK, I vividly remember watching Daley Thompson, Seb Coe and Steve Redgrave achieving Olympic glory. This year, our hopes rest on the likes of Jessica Ennis, Tom Daley, and, of course, Mo Farah […]

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10th July 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

Transparency Matters

Several weeks ago, I attended a briefing in Nairobi about a recent review of the now-infamous ‘Fartaag Report’ – a 2011 report that alleged corruption and misappropriation within the TFG on a significant scale during 2009-2010. The review provided – as far as possible – an investigation into the veracity of the charges within the […]

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2nd July 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

A happier anniversary?

And so off to Rome, for the 22nd meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Somalia, where together with colleagues from London and the British Office for Somalia, we will join the UK delegation headed by our Minister for Africa, Henry Bellingham MP. The ICG is the latest – and last – in a […]

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21st May 2012 Nairobi, Kenya

by Matt Baugh

Ambassador to Somalia

The Roadmap: focus on the destination

This week the Roadmap signatories meet in Addis. Their aim? To resolve a number of outstanding issues relating to the political process. And it’s vital they do. Over the next few months, the Signatories have an historic opportunity to make real progress and help Somalia move forward towards greater stability. Theirs is a challenging agenda: […]

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