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Issued By The 8th Igad Ministerial Facilitation Committee Meeting On The Somali National Reconciliation Conference, Nairobi, Kenya
16 TH JULY 2004.
1. The 8th IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee Meeting on the Somali National Reconciliation Conference was held in Nairobi on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th July 2004, at KCCT Mbagathi, Nairobi, Kenya.
2. The meeting was opened by Hon. Amb. Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya and was chaired by Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Minister for Environment and Natural Resources as the Government of Kenya s Leading Mediator to the IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee. The meeting was attended by 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; H. E. Dr. Mutrif Siddiq Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan, Amb. Ismael Goulal Boudine, Djibouti's Special Envoy to Somalia, represented Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and In-charge of Parliamentary Relations, Republic of Djibouti; Amb. Mohammed Ali Omaro, Ambassador of the State of Eritrea to Kenya represented the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea; H. E. Dr. Attallah Hamad Bashir, the Executive Secretary of IGAD and Amb. Mohamed Ali Foum,
African Union's (AU) Special Envoy for Somalia, representing the Chairperson of the African Commission also attended the Ministerial Meeting.
3. The following members of the IGAD Partners Forum were present: Canada , Denmark , Egypt , European Union , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , League of Arab States , Netherlands , Norway , Russia , Sweden , United Kingdom , United Nations and United States of America .
4. The Ministers: -
i) Expressed their gratitude and commended the progress made on the Somali Peace Process by Members of the IGAD Facilitation Committee and re-conferred to them the robust mandate in order to push the peace process to a successful conclusion.
ii) Hailed the visit of H. E. Koffi Annan, the Secretary General, United Nations to Mbagathi on the 8th July 2004 and his call on the Somali delegates to heed the deadline of 31st July 2004 set by the 6th IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee Meeting.
iii) Hailed further the return of the Somali Political and Traditional Leaders to the third and final phase of the Conference and called on the Somalis to remain focused in their quest towards the formation of an all-inclusive broad based government of Somali Republic.
iv) Called upon Somali delegates to honor and be fully committed to the deadline set by the IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee of 31st July
2004. They agreed to inaugurate the Transitional Federal Assembly on the occasion of the 9th IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee Meeting on 30th July 2004. The Ministers encouraged all stakeholders to uphold this commitment.
v) Called further for transparency in the Distribution and Selection Processes of Members of Parliament and reiterated that Political Leaders, Politicians and Traditional Leaders play their role.
vi) Congratulated the Hawiye and Digil Mirifle clans for presenting their lists of Distribution of the Parliamentary seats to the IGAD Facilitation Committee and directed all the remaining clans to submit their lists of distribution to the Committee as soon as possible. For those clans that shall not have agreed and presented their distribution lists by Tuesday, 20th July 2004, will be referred to the Arbitration Committee whose decision shall be final and bidding.
vii) Underscored that the lists of selected Members of Parliament should be submitted to the Facilitation Committee not later than 22nd July 2004, before the Ministers Meeting in Djibouti.
viii) Reiterated that the Peace Process should come to its logical conclusion in the next two weeks during which the Members of Parliament shall have been selected. They called upon all the delegates to be committed to the clan-based formula used as the basis for reconciliation and formation of the proposed Transitional Federal Government.
ix) Welcomed the statement by the President of the Security Council of 14th July 2004, condemning those who want to obstruct the peace process and persist on the path of confrontation and conflict. They concurred that the Somali parties themselves bear the main responsibility of achieving their comprehensive peace agreement that would usher in an era of peace and tranquility in Somalia.
x) Received a briefing on the progress made by the International Community in preparing draft Plans for Support in the Post-Conference period for the Transitional Federal Institutions. They reaffirmed their support to this effort and agreed that structured consultations on this matter will commence between IGAD Partners Forum and IGAD Facilitation Committee with the objective of endorsing concrete action plans during the next Ministerial Meeting.
xi) Endorsed the plans of organizing a high level dialogue with the Somali Business Community on Peace Making and Peace Building efforts as part of Phase III to be held in Djibouti on 21st - 22nd July 2004. They further expressed their gratitude to H. E. Mr. Ismail Omar Guellah, President of the Republic of Djibouti, who is hosting this crucial meeting.
xii) Emphasized further the resolution by IGAD Member States to maintain regional cohesion and solidarity to see the Somali National Reconciliation Conference to a successful conclusion.
xiii) Appealed to the IGAD member states, Partners and the International Community to continue lending the much needed financial support particularly addressing debt settlement of the Conference.
xiv) Re-affirmed the need for better coverage of the conference by both the press and electronic media as earlier urged and the development of a Conference website to enable proper and accurate information dissemination to the wider Somali Community in the Diaspora.
xv) Thanked the Government of the Republic of Kenya for according them cordial reception, warm hospitality and for successfully hosting the 8 th IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee Meeting.
xvi) The Ministers agreed to meet again in Nairobi on Friday 30 th July 2004.
Done in Nairobi on this 16 th Day of July 2004.
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