UN to launch $30 million peace-building project in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United Nations will next week launch a peacebuilding fund (PBF) worth 30 million U.S. dollars to help support the country's peacebuilding efforts.

The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) said on Thursday a joint launch of the new PBF portfolio will be held to highlight the interlinkages between the new projects.

The projects will also address Somalia's peacebuilding priorities as outlined in the peacebuilding priority plan, the national development plan, the national stabilization strategy, the Wadajir Framework, and the national reconciliation framework.

"The current portfolio consists of nine active projects valued at 30 million dollars - a sign of the PBF's increasing focus on Somalia in support of the country's peacebuilding and state-building efforts," UNSOM said in a statement ahead of the launch.

It said the UN secretary-general's PBF has supported Somalia's peacebuilding process since 2009, adding that investments to date amount to about 45 million dollars, of which a record level of 14 million dollars was allocated to five new projects in 2018.