PRESS RELEASE
August 22, 2004
Posted to the web August 23, 200
Nairobi
1. The 10TH IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee Meeting on the Somali National Reconciliation Conference was held on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd August, 2004, at KCCT Mbagathi and United Nations Complex Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya.
2. The meeting was opened by Hon. John Arap Koech, Minister for East African and Regional Co-operation of the Republic of Kenya and the Chairman of the IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee on the Somali Peace Process. The meeting was also attended by Hon. Amb. Ali Chirau Mwakwere, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya; Hon. Augustine Nshimye, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda and Acting Chairman of the IGAD Council of Ministers; Hon. Seyoum Mesfin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; Hon. Ali Abdi Farah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, In-Charge of Parliamentary Relations of the Republic of Djibouti; Hon. Joseph Nyaga, Assistant Minister, Ministry of East African and Regional Co-operation of the Republic of Kenya; Amb. Abdirahman Ali Numeri, Ambassador of Republic of the Sudan to Kenya, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan; Dr. Andab G. Meskel, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs; Col. Peter Marwa represented the Executive Secretary of IGAD and Amb. Mohamoud Ali Foum African Union's Special Envoy for Somalia, representing the Chairperson of the African Union Commission also attended the Ministerial Meeting.
3. The following members of the IGAD Partners Forum were present: Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, European Union, United Nations and the League of Arab States.
4. The Ministers: -
i. Acknowledged the tireless efforts made by the IGAD Facilitation Committee receiving the lists of Members of the Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic.
ii. Commended the sub-sub clans that had submitted their lists of Members of Parliament in time and called upon the remaining sub sub clans to do the same within the next coming seven (7) days.
iii. Congratulated the selected two hundred and sixteen (216) Members of Parliament who had been of whom one hundred and ninety four (194) were sworn-in. They challenged them to lay their individual differences aside and focus ahead with fulfilling their robust mandate with the Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic.
iv. Called Upon the arbitration committee to speed up and conclude the pending disputes arising from the selection process and re-affirmed their commitment to work for the selection and appointment of women to the Transitional Federal Parliament in accordance with the Transitional Federal Charter.
v. Complimented all the delegates present in the Somali National Reconciliation Conference who had sacrificed their personal ambitions and placed that of Somali Republic first.
vi. Expressed Satisfaction with the outcome of the second reconnaissance mission dispatched by the African Union to Somali from 7th - 18th August, 2004 and welcomed the efforts of the African Union to deploy a Military Observer Mission to support the outcome of the Reconciliation Conference.
vii. Urged all Somali parties to appreciate that security is a prerequisite to any form of development and called upon the Somali Community to cooperate with the African Union and the rest of the International Community towards this end.
viii. Endorsed the engagement of the Somali Business Community in peace-making and peace-building efforts and applauded the community for their commitment and support towards the Conference.
ix. Reaffirmed their decision to undertake at an appropriate time a briefing mission to the Commission of the African Union and the United Nations Security Council.
x. Thanked the IGAD member states, Partners, and the International Community for their financial support and appealed to them to continue supporting the process until its successful completion.
xi. Thanked the Government of the Republic of Kenya for according them cordial reception, warm hospitality and for successfully hosting the 10th IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee Meeting.
xii. The Ministers agreed to meet again in Nairobi on 15th September, 2004 for the inauguration of the Transitional Federal Government of the Somali Republic.
Done in United Nations Complex, Nairobi on this 22nd Day of August, 2004.