UN chief congratulates Somalia on five decades of independence

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of Somalia's independence, and commended the courage of the impoverished African nation's people and reaffirmed the UN support to help them realize their dream of living in peace, stability and prosperity.

"The secretary-general invites all Somalis to reflect back on that founding moment in their history when the people of Somalia looked to the future of their nation with pride and great expectation," said a statement issued by his spokesperson here.

"It is that vision of a united, strong and prosperous Somali nation that should direct the present and the future," the statement said.

Somalia's National Day falls on July 1.

Somalia, which is in the midst of one of the worst humanitarian and political crises in the world, has not had a functioning government for some 20 years. The Somali people still lack security, food, education and pretty much everything a government is supposed to provide.

The Horn of Africa nation continues to be plagued by fighting between government forces and rebels, as well as by drought, poverty, food insecurity and heavy flooding.

It remains the scene of one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), some 580,000 refugees and nearly 3 million people dependent on aid, out of a total population of nearly 8 million.

Source: Xinhua