Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to support a ceasefire in hostilities between Puntland and Somaliland.

Our Ambassador in Somalia has spoken to the Governments of Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland to underscore the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities. Violence is taking place amid an already difficult humanitarian situation and clashes only add to the suffering of people in the area. In speaking to President Muse Bihi (Somaliland) and President Gaas (Puntland) our Ambassador has made clear that economic development, the delivery of better services and an effective response to the region's environmental pressures depend on an enduring cessation of hostilities leading eventually to an agreement underpinning a sustainable peace.

The UK continues to urge sustained, constructive and meaningful dialogue in the region and supports efforts to achieve this.