Despite earlier rejection, UNSOM Team Head Mr. Nicholas Kay and Somali-land authorities decided to open its office in Hargeisa

Hargeisa- According to official sources, .the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia known as UNSOM has declared that it will open its office in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland which is a breakaway region of Somalia Republic.The decision came a day after the United Nations Special Envoy for Somalia Nicholas Kay visited Hargeisa after an invitation from Somaliland authorities.Mr Kay announced that his office is now preparing to extend its mission to Hargeisa after the absence of the one your UNSOM has worked in Somalia.While speaking to the reporters in Hargeisa on Tuesday, Mr Kay also acknowledged that lack of the presence of UNSOM in Somaliland had prevented many assistance that UNSOM and other UN agencies could do for the people in Somaliland.Last year Somaliland authorities rejected the UN’s biggest mission in East Africa led by Ambassador Nicholas Kay to open its branch in Hargeisa.  Somaliland described UNSOM as an special office intended for Somalia and that it did not had anything to do in Somaliland.t was unclear what changed the Somaliland’s stand towards the mandate of UNSOM which is based on Somalia’s National Unity as untouchable, but Ambassador said there will be many things to cooperate between UNSOM and Somaliland.

UNSOM was established by the UN Security Council on 3 June 2013. Based in Somalia, UNSOM is mandated to support the Federal Government of Somalia with its peace and state building agenda, including the federalism process, review of the provisional constitution and elections in 2016. It also works to strengthen Somalia’s security sector, promote respect for human rights and women’s empowerment and assist in the coordination of international assistance. UNSOM’s mandate was renewed for a further year on 29 May 2014 by Security Council resolution 2158 (2014).