Somalia peace talks fail as UN roots for all-inclusive dialogue

[Juje]

Somalia peace talks fail as UN roots for all-inclusive dialogue

 

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Talks to halt fighting in Somalia end in failure on Thursday, prompting foreign diplomats to press for a new and all-inclusive approach to rescue the African nation from deeper turmoil.

 

At least 1,000 delegates drawn from all Somali clans ended six weeks of negotiations in northern Mogadishu, where the government is facing a deadly insurgency, with a call not to give up.

 

The UN special envoy for Somalia Francois Fall urged the fledgling government "to reach out to all opposition groups, those within and outside Somalia."

 

"In this regard, I once again call on both sides to demonstrate political will and courage to engage in serious negotiations," he told about 2,500 delegates and observers attending the closing ceremony.

 

Other diplomats said a different approach was key to pacifying the country, where numerous UN-backed initiatives have unravelled under a welter of clan feuds and power struggles.

 

 

"We know this conference has gone nowhere. The problem is blind confidence in the (government)," a foreign diplomat told AFP, but Somali elders argued that at least such talks had been managed.

 

"We all wanted to support it and we all did (that, but) it did not rise to the occasion, so we need a different approach now," said the diplomat, who asked not to be named.

 

President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed said "reconciliation is open until Somalia becomes a peaceful country," but gave no specific outcomes.

 

"I encourage you delegates to maintain your efforts to bring peace," Yusuf added.

 

Elders said the attendance level at the Somali National Congress was in itself a favourable first step.

 

More than 1,000 delegates -- of the invited 3,000 -- representing the country's five clans met in Mogadishu to discuss power and wealth sharing, among other issues.

 

Security was tight in the seaside capital, with Ethiopian forces patrolling key intersections.

 

"The meeting is closing but the reconciliation remains open, it does not mean we have solved everything but the results we obtained show the congress is a stepping stone for future peace," said Mohamud Haji Mohamed, an elder.

 

The meeting, which opened on July 15, was requested by foreign nations and sponsored by the transitional government of Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi.

 

The government's main Islamist foes, who were defeated earlier this year with the help of neighbouring Ethiopia, boycotted the conference, as did a large part of Mogadishu's dominant USC clan.

 

Western intelligence agencies have accused the Islamists of links with Al Qaeda groups and this year US forces attacked positions in the country believed to be an haven for extremists. This worsened relations between the Somali foes.

 

"To move the reconciliation process forward, there is an urgent need to delink the settlement of the political crisis in Somali from a legitimate concern about terrorism in the region," Fall said

"To fight terrorism in this country is to pursue open dialogue and genuine reconciliation among all the parties Somalia."

 

Some elders scoffed at the talks, the latest peace endeavour in a country which has defied a dozen initiatives to end the bloodshed that has continued almost uninterrupted since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

 

"It started and elders met to drink coffee in a big hall but nobody seems able to explain what the real outcome is. I believe this congress was just a holiday break for elders from faraway regions," said Haji Adan Mohamed, a USC elder.

 

He and many others present and in the streets of Mogadishu pointed out that violence had escalated in the capital despite the peace talks.

 

"Mogadishu, which is hosting the congress, is in flames and we should find ways of bringing all the stakeholders together including the insurgents," Amino Hasan Warsame, one of the few women who attended the conference, told AFP.

 

Islamist and other key opposition players will be holding their own meeting in the Eritrean capital Asmara on September 1, with a focus on demanding an end to Ethiopian occupation.

 

The government has blamed Islamists for the almost daily guerrilla-style attacks in Mogadishu against government targets, Ethiopian troops and African Union peacekeepers, killing dozens every week.

 

Civilians have borne the brunt of the violence, which has seen government troops often accused of indiscriminate raids in response to insurgent attacks.

 

 

AFP

[Faarax-Brawn]

The UN special envoy for Somalia Francois Fall urged the fledgling government "to reach out to all opposition groups, those within and outside Somalia."

 

"In this regard, I once again call on both sides to demonstrate political will and courage to engage in serious negotiations," he told about 2,500 delegates and observers attending the closing ceremony.

 

Other diplomats said a different approach was key to pacifying the country, where numerous UN-backed initiatives have unravelled under a welter of clan feuds and power struggles.

 

 

"We know this conference has gone nowhere. The problem is blind confidence in the (government)," a foreign diplomat told AFP, but Somali elders argued that at least such talks had been managed.

 

"We all wanted to support it and we all did (that, but) it did not rise to the occasion, so we need a different approach now," said the diplomat, who asked not to be named.

 

That about sums it up! This is a clear message to Sh.Shareef & the Asmara folks to open the door for the sensible TFGers to come and talk seriously for the country. Better yet, if it is a genuine call from the UN,it better contact Sh.Shareef & ask him to do this exactly.

 

Moreover,the rogue team at the state dept incharge of the Horn, should stop taking Ethiopia's side and start engaging the Ertirians & the Sheikhs. Unless, we see a change from these diplomats towards the Sheikhs & their freindly allies,I am afraid all this talk is Hal bacaad lagu lisay...

 

Allah Help Somalis..

[Socod_badne]

Why is Juje all of the sudden the most diehard anti-TFG SOLer? Didn't he support the TFG in it's struggle against the ICU?

[Emperor]

Somalia: Top UN Envoy Congratulates Citizens on Conclusion of Reconciliation Debate

 

UN News Service (New York)

 

30 August 2007

Posted to the web 30 August 2007

 

 

The top United Nations envoy to Somalia today lauded the success of the national reconciliation summit, which ended today, but cautioned that much work remains to foster better internal relations in the war-ravaged country.

 

"For me, today's ceremony is of particular significance," the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Somalia François Lonsény Fall told participants at the National Reconciliation Congress in the capital Mogadishu. "It heralds the successful conclusion of a Somali-driven and owned reconciliation process within the country."

 

 

He warned that while the end of the Congress "marks yet another milestone in the quest for peace and reconciliation process in Somalia, it does not however signify the end of the reconciliation process" as the East African nation must overcome many hurdles, including engaging all opposition groups in a dialogue.

 

"Dealing with these challenges will require political will, commitment and perseverance by all parties concerned, as well as concerted international assistance and support by Somalia's friends and development partners," he said.

 

The envoy, who led a delegation of the International Advisory Committee (IAC), recommended that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) receive support to extend its authority and bolster respect for human rights throughout Somalia, which has had no functioning government since Muhammad Siad Barre's regime was toppled in 1991.

 

He called for the strengthening of AMISOM, the African Union-led mission in Somalia, which he said is a "prerequisite for improving stability and for providing the space for the political process, including the dialogue between the TFG and the opposition groups, to move forward."

 

Regarding terrorism, Mr. Fall said it is crucial to decouple the issue from that of settling the Somali political crisis to allow the reconciliation process to move forward. "The best way to fight terrorism in this country is to pursue open dialogue and genuine reconciliation among all parties in Somalia," he said.

 

The reconciliation congress kicked off on 14 July but was followed by a series of deadly attacks targeting locations where the conference, which was suspended for several days, took place. The attacks have wounded and killed innocent bystanders, including children, and prompted scores of others to flee.

 

Hostilities in the country flared up last year, culminating in the expulsion from Mogadishu in December of Islamist groups by the TFG, backed by Ethiopian troops. According to UN figures, 340,000 people, or roughly one-third of Mogadishu's population, have fled the city because of ongoing hostilities since February.

 

Source: allAfrica.com

[Faarax-Brawn]

The top United Nations envoy to Somalia today lauded the success of the national reconciliation summit, which ended today,

but cautioned that much work remains to foster better internal relations in the war-ravaged country

Regarding terrorism, Mr. Fall said it is crucial to decouple the issue from that of settling the Somali political crisis to allow the reconciliation process to move forward. "The best way to fight terrorism in this country is to pursue open dialogue and genuine reconciliation among all parties in Somalia,"

What do you expect a diplomat to say to a bunch of peace seeking attendants to their face? That a process that cost millions of dollars was a total failure? Be realistic man,the diplomatic language,as i have highlighted and said elsewhere,if anything highlights failure more than success.

 

Commonsense also confirms the same, the indiscriminate killing of civilians continues,daily bombs go off almost daily & gross human rights violations still happens in Mog. The residents are displaced & Somalis are far worse than they were 45days ago(and 8months ago).

[Malika]

Originally posted by Juje:

 

"It started and elders met to drink coffee in a big hall but nobody seems able to explain what the real outcome is. I believe this congress was just a holiday break for elders from faraway regions," said Haji Adan Mohamed, a USC elder.

 

AFP

Off topic,but this meeting reminded me of our Somali community meetings,sitting in these meetings are the most frustrating time I had to endure in my life.During these meetings everyone gets along,serious matters are never solved nor discussed,its like time for mahmaah and dacayaad...,then as you walk out of these meetings,feeling depressed and suicidal, you see the elders innee laba laba ama sedex sedex eyagoo melaaha tag tagaan .....The time to gossip, point fingers, blame and spread more venom in the community.

 

So am staying skeptic about these reconciliation meetings,because the cancer has spread deeper into our existance...or should I stay optimistic,hoping that one day,one day we get our acts straight and I can finally be able to live in peace in my homeland!