Hillary Clinton encouraged by Somali progress

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. government is "very encouraged" by progress made by interim leaders in Somalia to form a governing administration, the secretary of state said.

Somali elders last week expressed support for a new constitution that paves the way to a new central government. There hasn't been a functioning government in Somalia since the 1990s and the mandate for the interim administration expires Aug. 20.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was in the region visiting African leaders, said Washington was looking forward to providing support for the new government that takes shape after the interim period ends.

"We are very encouraged by the progress that the leaders have been making to meet all the requirements of the roadmap by the Aug. 20 deadline," she said in a statement.

Somali leaders must now set to work on choosing members of the Parliament.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a statement issued through his spokesman last week, congratulated Somali leaders for the important step but said "the provisional constitution is not the end of the process."

A suicide bombing in Mogadishu last week highlighted ongoing concerns in the war-torn country.