The Development Aid Minister Christian Friis Bach has visited the Somali capital Mogadishu as the first Danish minister to do so in 20 years and has announced a doubling of aid to the country.

“Of all the vulnerable countries that I have visited, Somalia is clearly the most vulnerable. Destruction is widespread and a large part of the population lives in abject poverty,” Friis Bach says.

Nonetheless, Friis Bach says he sees grounds for optimism: “Al-Shabaab has been pushed onto the defensive and the security situation in Mogadishu is a bit better than I thought. There is, in fact, life and traffic in the town,” the minister says.

In recent months, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the transitional Somali government have pushed al-Shabaab out of the capital, and although there are still terrorist attacks, Friis Bach says there is currently a unique chance to get Somalia on its feet again.

As a result, Denmark is increasing its development aid to the country – from DKK100 million in 2011 to DKK200 million in 2012. The funds are to be used on projects focusing on good governance and job creation.

“We are running a big risk by putting in so much money, as there is a lot that can go wrong. But we also have to consider the risk of not doing anything – more refugees, more terrorism, more pirate attacks. And a population that continues to suffer,” Friis Bach says, adding that the international community must increase its support to Somalia, and not least to the African Union’s military presence.

“For the first time, Africa has seriously become engaged in a conflict in the continent. But the international community has failed. We cannot justify leaving the African Union’s soldiers so badly equipped. We have to support more – and that will now happen, the development minister says.

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