Balala joins tourism ministers to appeal for peace in Somalia

By Standard Correspondent

Tourism Minister Najib Balala has appealed to the International Community to intervene in efforts to restore peace in the war-torn country of Somalia.

Speaking at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Conference currently underway in South Korea, Balala said instability in Somalia was posing a serious threat to security in neighbouring countries, Kenya included.

The minister told a ministerial roundtable meeting that the problem in Somalia was also causing a a serious international problem and thus requires an international solution that will permanently restore regional peace and security.

Balala’s sentiments were also echoed by other African leaders from Mozambique and Tanzania.

The minister told tourism ministers from the UNWTO member countries that the recent kidnappings and killings of tourists in Kenya were just few of the threats that insecurity in Somalia was causing to Kenya.

The incident, he said, has greatly affected cruise tourism but was optimistic it would be normalised.

He asked the United Nations to take the issue of insecurity in Somalia as a priority and intervene in order to find a lasting solution to the problem, adding that cases of insecurity were greatly affecting tourism in neighbouring countries.

Balala said only through interventions by both international and local countries will neighbouring countries’ security be guaranteed.

Highlighting the progress that Kenya has made in tourism in the past years, Balala said the threats posed by the war-torn Somalia was threatening to bring down the gains that the tourism industry has made.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation draws its membership from 154 countries worldwide.