US Calls For New Peace Roadmap As Somali Talks Resume

Nairobi, July 20, 2007 – The United States Friday welcomed the resumption of the Somali National Reconciliation Conference and urged Somali parties to work towards a peace roadmap to move the Horn of African country away from anarchy.

In a statement issued here, the US hailed Somali Interim President Abdullahi Yusuf's commitment to implement the outcome of the talks and called for closer cooperation in the drawing of a national peace roadmap to take the country to elections in 2009.

"We urge all Somali stakeholders to participate constructively in the Congress and use this opportunity to establish a roadmap for the remainder of the transitional process leading to elections in 2009," the statement reiterated.

Earlier this week, Somali Prime Minister Ali Ghedi warned that the peace talks, the first major attempt to forge unity since the government's relocation to Somalia, could collapse midway due to shortage of funds to cater for the welfare of the delegates.

Washington pledged financial support for talks but has not met the pledge.

The reconciliation conference is intended to be another step toward establishing a functioning central government in a country that has been without one since 1991.

Source: Panapress