UN General Assembly
2008

Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his personal and constant support. As Africa grapples with the challenges of competitive elections in fragile democracies divided by regional, racial, religious and ethnic differences, the time has come for us to reflect on the role of competitive electoral processes in the building of our national democratic institutions. Indeed, the challenge of attaining democratic and inclusive elected Governments is at the core of the conflicts and insecurity prevailing in many parts of Africa. In the Sudan, for example, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) continues to hold three years after its signing, despite challenges. I welcome the efforts made by the parties to the CPA in overcoming some recent difficulties. I urge them to intensify their efforts to address all outstanding issues in the implementation of the Accord. On the other hand, the situation in Somalia remains fragile. That is mainly because the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia has still not received full support from the international community. While I pay tribute to the Governments of Uganda and Burundi for providing troops as part of the