UNITED NATIONS - Somalia urged the world on Tuesday to support "a nation in dire need of help" and complained of international reticence to help solve what other African countries dubbed a "forgotten crisis."
Somalia's transitional government came to power after ousting militant Islamists with the help of Ethiopian troops at the start of this year. But persistent violence has displaced thousands of people from Mogadishu despite the convening of a peace congress between Somalia's many clans and factions.
"Regrettably, we feel that our major efforts in nation-building and state institutions development were confronted with unreceptive response and reticence of inexplicable nature," Somali Foreign Minister Husein Elabe Fahiye told the U.N. General Assembly.
"Collective action by this world body was less consistent and devoid of vigor, until very recently, to come to the rescue of a nation in dire need of help," he said.
Earlier this year, the African Union agreed to deploy 8,000 troops to replace the government's Ethiopian backers, but so far only about 1,600 Ugandan troops have arrived.
Various African nations have vowed to join the AU force but lack of funds, unrelenting violence in Mogadishu and meager encouragement from rich countries have kept them away.
Last month, Somali leaders meeting in Saudi Arabia said they wanted a force of Arab and African troops under the aegis of the United Nations.
Fahiye called for the United Nations to back the deployment of multinational forces, complaining of "incomprehensible" delays. "If this stand continues, it will only reveal a lack of commitment and indirect acquiescence to prolong the agony of the Somali people," he said.
"BLACK HAWK DOWN" MEMORIES
