May 27, 2004
Posted to the web May 27, 2004
Zeddy Sambu
Nairobi
A peace deal for war ravaged Somalia could be realised in the next five weeks.
The delegates at the peace talks in Mbagathi, Nairobi, have adopted a roadmap designed by the Igad steering committee to install a central government in the country in just over a month.
They have also accepted the proposed slots for the selection of MPs and a transitional government is scheduled be sworn in on July 1 in Nairobi.
Following two-day consultations by all the Somali clans and a full house of the Igad Partner's Forum, the four major clans are required to appoint 61 representatives each, while the fifth clan will take 31 slots of those required to select MPs who will in turn elect the National Assembly Speaker and his two deputies.
At the launch, all the clans are also required to select three representatives each to the 15-member arbitration Committee to iron out other pertinent issues.
A ministerial commission set to investigate continued flow of small arms that fuelled the tense situation in the country is required to report back to the UN Security Council in early July.
"The ministers noted that the Somali issue is on top of the agenda of the Summit meeting during the forthcoming launch of the African Union Peace and Security Council on Tuesday, " said a communique issued jointly by the ministers on Saturday.
Although the delegates expressed the determination and willingness to complete the talks, the various members of the Igad Partners Forum, which includes seven of the G8 members, eight European nations, the AU, UN and the League of Arab Nations present at the launch did not pledge support for the successful conclusion of the talks, despite repeated pledges from the steering committee.
But a budget deficit of US$ 100,000,000 (about Sh7.8billion) hangs over the completion of the third and most critical phase of the talks.
The delegates have urged the forum driving the talks to offset the mounting debts that have been accruing since the talks began in Eldoret at the end of 2002.
Somalia has been in conflict and without a central authority since the ouster of dictator Siad Barre.
Mr Seyou Mesfin, the Ethiopia's Foreign minister and his Djibouti counterpart Ali Abdi Farah on Saturday reaffirmed their countries' support to achieving peace in Somalia.
Only two weeks ago, efforts by the Igad steering committee to initiate the final phase through a consensus on the proposed roadmap were threatened after key delegates skipped the meeting.
It took the intervention of the Home Affairs Ministry to ensure that all the 12 key leaders were in Nairobi by Friday. Even Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed the President of Puntland, a key state in Somalia was present at the weekend talks.
Foreign affairs Minister Kalonzo Musyoka, who chairs the meeting, announced that despite the in-depth deliberations, the talks had reached an impasse:
"There is rising tension and we are urging all Somali leaders to refrain from acts that could worsen the situation. I appeal to the Somali political leaders to positively deliberate on the issue of upgrading the declaration on cessation of hostilities to an agreement," he urged.
The head of the European delegation Carlo Calia who is also the Italian ambassador urged the international commitment and readiness to support the process provided the concrete steps were put in place.
He said important steps be shared out with the Somalis coming first in regard to their ownership of the process.
"Ways, mechanisms and instruments to resolve outstanding issues like the inclusiveness of main actors and Somali forces plus Igad to adopt a more cohesive and common approach to the Somali National Constitutional conference, "said Mr Calia.