Somalia Can't Afford Another False Start, Says Annan

Salad F. Duhul
Arab News

JEDDAH, 10 July 2004 - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged Somali delegates attending the peace talks in Kenya to do all in their power to establish an inclusive government structure by July 31, press reports said yesterday.

"Somalia cannot afford another false start. Your people have the right to look to a better tomorrow. And tomorrow begins today," Annan told some 500 Somali delegates at talks in Nairobi.

The talks are currently in the final phase, with delegates attempting to share power among five major Somali clans, before electing a transitional president.

The delegates have indicated they might wrap up the exercise by the end of July. About thirteen peace talks to form government in the anarchic country have so far failed since the beginning of the civil war in 1991.

"I am heartened by the progress you have made at this conference, especially in recent weeks. This time, all of us must get it right. It is up to the people of Somalia, and in particular its leaders, who must exhibit a profound sense of responsibility and statesmanship. It's you who must make the compromises that will lead to a government with credibility throughout Somalia," said Annan.

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The regional Parliament of Puntland region has approved this month's presidential decree that reduced the government's term in office there from two years to six months, media reports said.

"Out of 47 lawmakers who were present in the 66-seat Parliament, 46 members voted in favor of the decree, with one of them abstaining," presidential adviser Yusuf Mohamed Baribari was quoted as saying.

Puntland has established its regional administration in 1998 and has remained peaceful since then. On July 1, Puntland's president Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed cut his government's term in office from two years to six months, but Vice President Mohammed Abdi Hashi said the move was unconstitutional. The decision by Parliament laid the matter to rest in favor of Ahmed.

Since the outbreak of civil war, Somalia has effectively split into several mini-states and fiefdoms controlled by warlords. The northwestern region has seceded and declared itself the sovereign republic of Somaliland. Puntland in northeastern region, however, has not yet seceded from Somalia.

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According to media reports from Mogadishu, about 500 people have attended the opening of the Coca-Cola plant, whose forerunner was destroyed in the early 90s. It was the largest single investment in the country since central government collapsed 13 years ago, and was a sign of growing business confidence.

The absence of a central government and continuing lawlessness in Somalia has, until now, deterred investors.

The old Coke plant was destroyed at the beginning of the country's civil war. But the relative calm of the last few years has encouraged Somalis living overseas to put more money back into the country.

"This is the beginning of a new era for Somalia. This is the turning point. Somalia is normal and anybody can do business here. We need to work to make the security better, and we want to create investment confidence in this country, and we need so many people to come back to their home country and do business here," Abdirisak Isse, manager of the factory, was quoted as saying.