Peace talks returned in Somalia

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-21-2006 09:20

Somalia's Western-backed transitional government and its rivals have agreed to return to peace talks. This, after an EU envoy's meeting with both sides in a day of shuttle diplomacy amid heavy fighting near the government seat of Baidoa.

European commissioner for development and aid, Louis Michel, arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday, after holding talks with Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi and President Abdullahi Yusuf in the government garrison town of Baidoa.

Once in Mogadishu, Michel met with the Islamic Courts Union, whose leader, Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, said they ended up agreeing to resume peace talks.

"We have had a meeting with the European Union representative who has asked us to go to the peace negotiations and we have agreed to return to the peace table." said Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys.

Somali government officials also said they would attend talks in Khartoum, Sudan. No date has yet been given.

Addressing a news conference, the EU envoy said peace talks were the only way to get out of the conflict.

Louis Michel, EU Development & AID chief, said, "They have both reaffirmed all previous agreements reached and endeavor to make sure they implement the commitments immediately, the reason so both agreement to immediately escalation in the military confrontation and cessation of hostilities and refrain from any hostile act and what is to my opinion the most important, they both agreed to resume the Khartoum dialogue process unconditionally. This is very important, with no preconditions, to re-launch the process."

Heavy fighting erupted earlier on Wednesday between Somalia's government troops and rival Islamic militias, near where the EU development and aid chief was meeting with the government leaders.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan