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| Africa: East |
| Somali factions agree to form parliament |
| 2004-02-01 |
| Leaders of Somalia’s warring factions signed an agreement yesterday that brings them the closest to forming a central administration they have been since the Somali state dissolved at the outbreak of civil war 13 years ago. The agreement, signed at peace talks in Kenya, is the first to include all the main warlords and feuding traditional leaders - 42 in total. It follows numerous failed attempts to recreate a national government since the overthrow of the Siad Barre regime in 1991. Most of those attempts involved loose coalitions of militia and political leaders, who were unable to extend their influence much beyond the parts of Mogadishu, the capital, that they controlled. This time, they have all agreed to the creation of a 275-seat parliament. But observers warned that the process of appointing its members, and their election of a transitional national president, would be fraught with tension. Western engagement with Somalia has been minimal since United Nations troops abandoned their peacekeeping mission there after a disastrous US attempt in 1993 to capture one of the more powerful warlords. Recent western concern about Somalia has been fuelled by fears that the state’s collapse into clan-based fiefdoms has made it a safe haven from which international terrorists have plotted attacks on US and Israeli interests. But diplomats said the impetus behind yesterday’s breakthrough came largely from the region and was led by Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenya’s foreign minister. The success of the latest round of peace talks came after Abdiqasim Hassan Salad, the leader of the last attempt at creating a national government, rejoined talks. "We honestly hope that with this positive spirit we will be able to bury the long-standing differences that prevailed among the various sections of our society," he said at the emotional signing ceremony. Observers said many of the faction leaders would be travelling back to Somalia before further steps could be taken towards a ceasefire agreement and a plan for the dismantling of militias. Moves were also afoot to win Ethiopia’s support for the process. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |