China calls on int'l community to help Somalia tackle challenges

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the international community to help Somalia tackle various challenges.

As the political and security process in Somalia is at a critical stage, the international community must not relent in its attention and support, and must help Somalia better tackle the challenges on all fronts, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

All efforts should be made to consolidate the achievements in the fight against terrorism, he told the Security Council.

The Somali authorities have achieved visible results in the fight against terrorism. The terrorist group al-Shabaab has recently launched frequent attacks, resulting in civilian casualties. The international community should continue to support Somalia's counter-terrorism and stabilization efforts and help the Somali security forces with training and capacity-building with a view for the latter to assume greater responsibility for security, he said.

Recently, the Somali federal government called for a pause in the drawdown of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. China believes that it is imperative to carry out the drawdown plan in a smooth, orderly and responsible manner on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the security situation so as to avoid a security vacuum, he said.

Dai called for support for the political transition in Somalia, which he said is the very basis for consolidating national security and maintaining political stability.

China supports the convening of the National Consultative Council to promote political dialogue and to discuss major issues, such as elections, counter-terrorism and reconciliation, he said. "We call on all parties to continue to resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation and advance the transition process."

The Somali authorities have repeatedly called for the lifting of the arms embargo. The Security Council should respond to the concerns of the Somali side and adjust the sanctions measures in light of the security situation on the ground and create conditions conducive to the building of Somali national defense, he said.