UN envoy for Somalia welcomes further progress of Somali talks

Source: Xinhua | 11-26-2008 17:22

By Daniel Ooko

NAIROBI, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN top envoy for Somalia on Wednesday welcomed the latest developments and progress of the Somali talks on critical issues including justice and reconciliation, the unity government and security issues.

A statement from the UN Political Office for Somalia said Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative for Somalia, lauded the latest round of discussion, which was held in neighboring Djibouti.

"I am very pleased to see the concerned parties moving forward with the support of the United Nations and the international community in accordance with the Djibouti Agreement," Ould-Abdallah said in a statement.

With respect to the broad-based Unity Government agreed to on Oct. 26 by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS), Ould-Abdallah said: "Today's decision agreed to by both parties within the High Level Committee (HLC) is very encouraging because it advances the commitment made by both sides to form an inclusive Parliament and Unity Government."

The Somali warring parties agreed to create 75 additional seats in the enlarged parliament in which the UN envoy said represent in practical terms the open nature of the Djibouti Agreement.

The agreement encourages the inclusion of relevant parties in civil society, including women and the business community and the Diaspora, to see their place in the process.

"Overall, these are important steps to create sustainable peace in Somalia and demonstrate the Parties' commitment. I thank the Somali people for being patient and for continuing to support the talks in Djibouti," said the envoy.

Ould-Abdallah said the parties will now go for additional consultations with their constituencies, allies and leadership before returning to the UN for further exchanges.

The final arrangements should be addressed by all parties after the Hadj and the Eid-al-Adha. Discussions on security are expected to center on how the ARS and the TFG and other Somali parties will address practical security matters, Ould-Abdallah said.

In particular, he said, this includes final arrangements for the cessation of armed confrontation and the formation of the joint transitional forces. The meeting of the Joint Security Committee will be formally opened in Mogadishu after the successful convening of a workshop in Kenya.

"We hope that the concerted efforts made here and the momentum gained in these last few days continue so that the new year sees Somali leaders working together, wholeheartedly and committed to the dignity of the Somali people," said Ould-Abdallah.

The UN-brokered peace talks in Djibouti to end the war, which has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, have been rejected by Islamist hardliners, while a spat between Yusuf and his prime minister has further hindered the process.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei