[Pak Daily Times] The twin-pronged political and peacekeeping approach to ending almost two decades of civil war in Somalia is beginning to pay dividends, a senior United Nations official said on Thursday.Lynn Pascoe, the UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, said there was growing regional and international support for Somalia's fragile government and he welcomed the recent strengthening of the African Union peacekeeping force.
He acknowledged many problems remained, including how the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) could deliver services to a nation heavily dependent on outside aid and the strengthening of al Qaeda-linked Somali rebels. "Is this a huge challenge, yes. But what strikes me is how the pieces are coming into place and the political will of the international community is strengthening," Pascoe told reporters in the Kenyan capital a day after visiting Mogadishu. "We're beginning to make some progress, but I am not saying there is a wonderful solution at hand."