A/HRC/18/48 68. There were times when the independent expert was encouraged by some positive developments, but discouraged soon thereafter. While he thus swayed between optimism and pessimism, however, he has never given up hope. He still strongly believes that, despite many setbacks, the conflict in Somalia, like all conflicts, will come to an end sooner rather than later. He hopes that, in the not too distant future, the people of Somalia will be able to wake up from their long nightmare to find that normality has returned to their country. For this to happen, the international community must stay the course until the end and the Transitional Federal Institutions remain committed. The most recent trips of the independent expert have once again raised similar hopes, which he wishes to share with the Council. 69. While finalizing the present report, the independent expert learned about the withdrawal of Al-Shabaab from Mogadishu, a development that presents the Somali peace process with a major opportunity to move forward. For the first time in nearly two decades, with the exception of the brief rule by the Union of Islamic Courts, Mogadishu will come under an internationally-supported central authority. A critical element at this stage is the need for an immediate injection of resources to the various players on the ground. This must be considered in conjunction with the need to address the existing humanitarian crisis sparked by the drought in the region. 70. During his visit to the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya in early July, the independent expert spoke to newly arriving refugees from Somalia to learn about the circumstances that led them to flee. There was nothing new about what they said about the painful conditions in their country, except that this time these were compounded by the drought. They described how drought had gradually destroyed the livestock and all other means of their livelihood and how helpless they felt in the absence of any help from the authorities. They also mentioned how, during their long journeys, sometimes lasting over a month, they were helped in all possible ways by ordinary Somalis on the way, many of whom helped them carry their small children on their laps over long distances. In the face of such solidarity, the independent expert felt that the basic ingredients of national unity are there in Somalia to be put to use for nation-building before and after the war. 71. Most of those with whom the independent expert talked in Dadaab had come from territories controlled by Al-Shabaab. Since the latter had adopted a policy of not allowing the United Nations or other international agencies to bring assistance to areas they controlled, the people living there were left with no outside assistance, while Al-Shabaab too was unable or unwilling to provide for their needs. As a result, the population felt betrayed by them. 72. It may be recalled that, on previous occasions when the independent expert talked to refugees, in Kenya or Yemen, who came from Al-Shabaab controlled areas, most did not feel as strongly against them as they did this time around. The refugees were now very vocal about their disapproval of Al-Shabaab and its policies. This should be a warning to Al-Shabaab, and an opportunity for the Transitional Federal Government to be seized. The fact that Al-Shabaab recently decided to lift its ban, however temporarily, against outside assistance may be interpreted as their increasing concern about how people perceive the movement. 73. The independent expert had another positive impression from his talks with some youths in Dadaab refugee camps, some of whom had stayed for over two decades. They expressed gratitude to the international community for making it possible for them to obtain a good education during their stay in Kenya. They were now ready to go back to Somalia, if the opportunity came, to contribute to the education of their compatriots, who have long been denied this opportunity. Since the independent expert had discussed such a possibility with the Prime Minister during his talks the previous day in Mogadishu, this is a possibility to be explored. He is confident that such well-educated men and women refugees could not 14