Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, distinguished guests,
On behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, it is an honour to join you today at this historic commemoration - the opening of the Arta Peace Memorial. We gather to remember a defining moment in the region’s history, and to reflect on its message of hope, unity, and dialogue.
Excellences,
Il y a vingt-cinq ans, sous la direction visionnaire de Son Excellence, Monsieur le Président Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, Djibouti a joué un rôle déterminant en ouvrant la voie à la renaissance politique de la Somalie. Le Processus d’Arta a constitué une avancée majeure dans les efforts visant à mettre un terme à une décennie de guerre civile qui avait entraîné l’effondrement de l’État, des conflits généralisés et d’immenses pertes en vies humaines parmi le peuple somalien.
Les précédentes initiatives de réconciliation n’avaient pas permis de rétablir une autorité nationale légitime. C’est dans ce contexte que Djibouti et le Président Ismaïl Omar Guelleh ont offert non seulement un cadre de dialogue, mais aussi une conviction renouvelée: celle que la restauration de la paix devait être portée par les Somaliens eux-mêmes et s’enraciner dans l’inclusion et la réconciliation.
Excellencies,
The 2000 Arta Peace Conference gave voice to key constituencies in Somalia. It introduced the now-familiar 4.5 clan power-sharing formula but also, for the first time, enshrined a reserved quota for women’s representation in national governance - a historic recognition of the essential role of Somali women in peacebuilding. The conference ultimately produced the Transitional National Charter and the Transitional National Government. Though not perfect, these were courageous steps toward reconstituting legitimate Somali statehood, and laying the foundation that has ensured regular peaceful transfers of legislative and executive power over the past 25 years.
And from the foundations laid at Arta, subsequent processes in Eldoret, Mbagathi, Djibouti again, Garowe, and Mogadishu gradually built the federal architecture we know today. They paved the way for the 2012 Federal Provisional Constitution as the cornerstone of Somalia’s state-building process, and which enshrined the principle of one-person-one-vote elections toward which Somalia continues to strive.
Since Arta, Somalia has made notable progress in reviving state institutions, strengthening national security, restoring fiscal discipline, elevating the participation of women, youth, and civil society, and ensuring that Somalia’s voice is heard in multilateral forums. Let us congratulate His Excellency President Hassaan Sheikh Mohamud, other Somali leaders present here today, and the people of Somalia for these remarkable achievements in the past 25 years.
Excellencies, distinguished guests,
Somalia today is no longer defined by old limitations, but rather by the strength and resilience of its people and their aspirations toward national reconciliation, institutional development, broader citizen participation in inclusive political processes, and lasting peace through an end to the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and ISIS.
In the current Somali context, the lessons of Arta remain profoundly relevant: that all Somali communities matter, that patient dialogue offers a path to enduring solutions, and that political settlements gain legitimacy through participation and inclusivity.
We are hopeful that just as Djibouti and the wider region rallied behind Somalia at Arta twenty-five years ago, the same commitment to regional cooperation and coordinated international support will continue to accompany Somalia in overcoming remaining security threats and in furthering its state-building endeavours.
On our part, the United Nations remains steadfast in its support for Somalia in advancing its national priorities.
Excellencies,
As we inaugurate this memorial and commemorate the vision that inspired it, let us recommit to completing the work that began at Arta: achieving a peaceful and thriving Somalia that embodies the aspirations of all its citizens.
On behalf of the Secretary-General, I extend heartfelt appreciation to His Excellency President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, and to the Government and people of Djibouti, for their unwavering solidarity with Somalia. May this memorial serve as a perpetual reminder here and around the world that peace is possible through the courage of dialogue.