To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the recent violence in Somalia; what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the violence on the further deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia; and if she will make a statement. (130257)

The recent violence in Mogadishu represents a very real threat to the prospects for stability in Somalia. We condemn the attacks against African Union (AU) and other forces and call on those responsible to desist, and to work alongside the transitional federal institutions and the AU in helping to restore governance to Somalia. We continue to believe that an AU stabilisation force is the most effective way of assisting Somalia to secure the stability and peace its people so badly want.