UN lauds efforts by Somalia to end sexual violence

The UN envoy has welcomed efforts by the Somali Government to develop a national action plan to end sexual violence in conflict.

Pramila Patten, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said this when he ended a five-day review visit to Somalia.

Patten stressed the importance of the engagement of justice and security sector actors, as well as civil society, religious and traditional leaders in the development of the new National Action Plan.

She said the plan should incorporate essential elements of Security Council resolution 2106 (2013), which outlines the nexus between terrorism and conflict-related sexual violence, and 2467 (2019), which calls for a holistic survivor-centred approach.

“My dialogue with the national authorities was frank and constructive.

“They did not deny or downplay the gravity of the crimes of sexual violence,’’ she said in a statement issued on Monday.

“Such acknowledgement is critical as no problem in human history has ever been resolved through silence and denial.’’

Analysts say two decades of civil conflict and state collapse have created a large population of displaced persons and other people vulnerable to sexual violence.