African ministers who ended a day- long meeting in Nairobi late Tuesday resolved to ban Somali warlords, who were defeated in Mogadishu by Islamic militia, from entering regional countries, where they have extensive business and property interests.
The foreign ministers from the seven-nation regional grouping, the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) also resolved to freeze accounts owned by the warlords but offered amnesty to those who pursue reconciliation with the transitional federal government.
"The Council agreed that IGAD Member States will apply to same sanctions against all warlords as has been applied by Kenya including travel ban and freezing of accounts except for free passage which may be extended to those warlords who will have surrendered and subjected themselves to dialogue with the TFG," they said in a communique.
The regional ministers said the Somali warlords who were undermining efforts by the nascent administration to restore stability in the war-scarred Horn of Africa country would be subjected to the legal international process for prosecution for crimes against humanity.
"The Council agreed that amnesty be given to those who may have been involved in the past in these illegal activities, who now agree to surrender and follow the path of dialogue with the internationally recognized TFG, which is the legitimate authority for Somalia," they said.
"Further agreed to grant safe passage to those who accept this regional amnesty," it added. Kenya has already slapped a unilateral ban on the warlords and deported one last week and analysts said such a measure would be a further blow to the self- styled coalition of anti-terrorism warlords -- widely believed to have been backed by Washington.
The IGAD meeting which was debated a Somali government plan to invite foreign peacekeepers from the region urged Uganda and Sudan to mobilize forces ready for deployment in the lawless nation.
"The Council of ministers noted that the AU Resolutions gave IGAD the mandate to deploy Peace Support Mission to Somalia IGASOM) and requested Uganda and Sudan to expeditiously mobilize peace support forces to Somalia in accordance with the IGAD Summit Resolution of March 20, 2006 and the approved National Security Stabilization Plan (NSSP)," it said.
The ministers urged the UN Security Council to partially lift the arms embargo on Somali to enable the transitional government establish its law and order in the country.
"The Council of Ministers noted that the UN Security Council Arms Embargo on Somalia do remain but exemptions be allowed to enable the TFG to establish its law and order enforcement institutions in accordance with the outcome of the TFG/IGAD/AU working group meeting," the communique said.
The travel ban is most likely to apply to about eight or nine warlords, including four who were in government until their sackings last week for involvement in the Mogadishu fighting.
Regional experts say the warlords have real estate, import- export and transport interests around east Africa and the Middle East, particularly Kenya and Dubai.
"The meeting requested members of the international community not to offer official or non official unilateral assistance to any party or group of persons within Somalia without due consultation with IGAD and the TFG," the ministers said.
It also mandated the chairman of the IGAD Council of Ministers to present the decisions taken in the meeting to the Islamic Organization Conference (IOC) Council of Ministers' meeting to be held in Azerbaijan.
The United States has called for a meeting of the Somalia Contact Group in New York on Thursday to discuss the situation there but both the IGAD, Africa Union and Somali officials have not been invited.
The Somali transitional government, based in Baidoa, only controls a small part of Somalia, which has not had a functioning national authority for 15 years.