A/HRC/10/85 page 4 Violations of freedom of expression continued to be a major concern in all parts of Somalia. Authorities in “Somaliland” and “Puntland” strictly reduced freedom of expression in the preparation for elections, although the situation appears to have improved in Puntland since the elections. In South/Central Somalia, both sides to the conflict continue to target journalists and human rights defenders. On 1 January 2009 the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the murder of Hassan Mayow Hassan, a Somali journalist, who was shot dead in the Afgoye District of lower Shabelle region in Southern Somalia. A second journalist, the Director of Radio HornAfrik, was shot dead in Mogadishu on 3 February. As mentioned earlier, the complete withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops from Somalia, together with the enlargement of Parliament, the election of President Sheikh Sharif, the formation of a Government of national unity under a new prime minister, create a new momentum and a window of opportunity for lasting peace and security in Somalia which must not be lost. Meanwhile, huge challenges lie ahead in terms of security, political and logistical needs. Ethiopia’s withdrawal deprives the militant liberationists of their national appeal. In this regard, much will depend on how the security needs in Mogadishu and Baidoa, in particular, are met. Whether the international community would be able to strengthen the capacity of AMISOM, and support the establishment of functioning security forces which protect the population rather than abuse it, are all factors, including possible increasing conflict between the Islamist hardliners and the insurgent groups, will have an impact on the situation of human rights. Before entering into the substance of my report - which covers the period from September 2008 to February 2009 - I should like to acknowledge all the help I received during the entire trip and the hospitality shown by many to me and to my Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) colleague. First and foremost, I am grateful to Idrissa Kane of OHCHR who assists me in the exercise of my mandate. I am also grateful to the United Nations offices at the various places I visited for logistical and other support they provided to us. But the support I received from UNHCR was much more than logistical. I am grateful to UNPOS and in particular to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, for filling me in the progress of the Djibouti Peace Accord. And finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Yemen, Ali Muthana Hassan, and the Deputy Minister for Human Rights for Yemen, Ali Saleh Taiseer, for the courtesies and hospitality they and their colleagues extended to me and my colleague during our trip to Yemen.