Somali Minister Hails Peace Process

Compiled by Salad F. Duhul (Arabnews)

The Somali Transitional National Government (TNG) Foreign Minister, Yusuf Hassan Ibrahim, has said the current Somali peace talks in Kenya are an important achievement in bringing all the warring factions and the TNG together at a single negotiating table.

"The only reasonable hope for peace and stability in our country is a peaceful, multilateral and purposeful dialogue to end the predicament of the Somali nation," the minister noted in a speech on Dec. 29 during a visit to the United Arab Emirates.

He said that in spite of the absence of some Somali factions and regional administrations from the 2000 peace conference, which resulted in his administration, participants from all sections of the civil society struggled to establish stability and government in Somalia.

"After succeeding at the domestic level, the TNG received support and solidarity from the Arab, African and international community, earning it the required legitimacy to retrieve its position in regional and international organizations. The factions that did not participate in the Djibouti peace conference did not cooperate with the TNG, limiting the extension of its control to the remaining parts of country and resulting in the prevention of setting up of a broad-based central government. This prompted the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development to convene new peace talks in Kenya," Ibrahim said.

"The US, EU, Arab League and African Union have pledged the required financial support for the country’s reconstruction and disarming the armed militias. Without effective disarmament, it will be unpractical to set up any form of government in the country. If disarmament gets international support, the provisional government will be unable to do anything. Therefore, it is essential for the international community to provide support to help the government enforce law and order and give economic assistance to newly established government institutions."

Speaking about the recent Mombassa attacks, Ibrahim said that no Somali was involved in these events. "It was all a fabrication aimed at damaging the interests of Somalia and distorting the image of the TNG which is trying to reach a national reconciliation."

About foreign interference in Somali affairs, he said that such attempts had failed as Somalis had realized the importance of solidarity among themselves.

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