MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 23 (UPI) -- In order to avoid exacerbating the instability in Somalia, the head of the United Nations called for an incremental U.N. presence in the country.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the volatility in Somalia must be addressed by the international community but said a phased approach to establishing a U.N. peacekeeping operation was needed to ensure the safety of the operation and to prevent an outbreak of violence, the United Nations reported.
The instability of Somalia, which hasn't had a functioning government since 1991, remains one of the primary causes of the escalating threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Ban said that in order for a peacekeeping operation in the Horn of Africa country to succeed, conditions on security and whether the political leaders are receptive must be met.
The conditions "include the assurance of security for U.N. personnel and a political process that has gelled enough to permit the diverse political actors to agree on the insertion of international forces," according to a news release.
