UN General Assembly
1996

decisions of the court of arbitration. I am pleased to underline that the subsidiary agreement reached between the two sides in Paris last week, on 3 October, will now allow for the proceedings of the court of arbitration to start early next year. The agonizing and intractable reality in Somalia cannot but impel the international community to search for ways and means of expediting an end to this long, drawn- out tragedy. The complexity of the situation is too apparent to require more elaboration here. But it is clear that no amount of well-meaning external support will succeed in restoring normalcy to Somalia unless the Somalis themselves take stock of the senseless bloodshed that has torn the country apart and produce what it takes to forge peace and national reconciliation. Admittedly, the countries of the region could have played a more catalytic part in this multi-pronged effort. The lack of a consistent and coordinated regional and international initiative, however, may entail more preoccupying negative developments. Indeed, there are indications these days of a growing