Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar says Somalia has come a long way since its government collapsed 30 years ago, plunging the country into civil war.

Omar notes that Somalia would not have recovered without the international community’s help.

The United Nations established a political office to help rebuild institutions and resolve political disputes. And more than three decades after its creation, the mission ended in October at the request of the government, which says it wants to be responsible for its own affairs.

But the government will face challenges. African Union peacekeepers are still on the ground supporting Mogadishu in its fight against al-Shabaab, an armed group linked to al-Qaeda that controls large parts of central and southern Somalia. Cuts to United States funding threaten the African Union’s mission.

Meanwhile, Somalia’s opposition says its president is not legitimate, as the government says the new constitution allows him to stay in office until next year.

Omar says that despite these issues, Somalia is more stable than it was a few years ago. And he hopes the international community will continue supporting it financially as it seeks to become a stronger state.