London conference urges Somalia to seize its chance
Live coverage from the Somalia conference. Translations where possible.
World
leaders have urged Somalis to seize an "unprecedented opportunity" to
rebuild their nation, at a gathering in London on the war-torn nation's
future.
Ending threats of terrorism and piracy were in everyone's interests, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said.Hillary Clinton said plans to elect leaders and adopt a constitution before August were "ambitious".
But she said the mandate of the UN-backed interim government would not be extended any longer.
Somalia has endured more than two decades of civil war and famine.
Continue reading the main story
It is also outsiders who have decided that the time for political transition is over; they even say they will "incentivise progress" towards representative government.
Will the London Conference translate into change on the ground? Doubtless there has been real progress in the fight against al-Shabab and piracy. The conference delegates have made it clear that the time for political transition is over. But Somalia may be entering another phase of violence and instability, this time between its regions, many of which have their own governments.
There were no less than four Somali presidents at the conference, one representing the transitional federal government, the others the more stable regions in the north. And outside the conference there were no less than three small but noisy demonstrations, all shouting and singing for different causes. This suggests that peace and unity may be still be a distant dream.
Analysis
There seems to be a bit of a contradiction in the final communique. On the one hand, it states in bold type that decisions on Somalia's future "rest with the Somali people". On the other it talks about outsiders taking some control of the government's budget, with the establishment of a Joint Financial Management Board.It is also outsiders who have decided that the time for political transition is over; they even say they will "incentivise progress" towards representative government.
Will the London Conference translate into change on the ground? Doubtless there has been real progress in the fight against al-Shabab and piracy. The conference delegates have made it clear that the time for political transition is over. But Somalia may be entering another phase of violence and instability, this time between its regions, many of which have their own governments.
There were no less than four Somali presidents at the conference, one representing the transitional federal government, the others the more stable regions in the north. And outside the conference there were no less than three small but noisy demonstrations, all shouting and singing for different causes. This suggests that peace and unity may be still be a distant dream.
Representatives from many Somali
factions are attending the London conference, but the al-Shabab Islamist
group that controls much of the centre and south of the country is not
invited.
The UK has described Somalia as the "world's worst failed state" but said it needs a "second chance".Mr Cameron told the gathered leaders, who included Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi and UN chief Ban Ki-moon, that the world would pay a high price if it ignored the plight of Somalia.
"In a country where there is so little hope, where there is chaos and violence and terrorism, pirates are disrupting vital trade routes and kidnapping tourists," he said.
"Young minds are being poisoned by radicalism, breeding terrorism that is threatening not just Somalia but the whole world. If the rest of us just sit back and look on, we will pay a price for doing so."
During his speech, Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed called for an end to the arms embargo, saying: "We're looking for security. We're scared of tomorrow."
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council approved a resolution increasing the number of AU troops in Somalia by 5,000 to more than 17,000. Council members also agreed to extra funding for the mission and to extend its mandate.
Yoweri Museveni, the leader of Uganda - which has provided the bulk of troops for African Union (AU) forces in Somalia - told the gathering African solutions to African problems worked best.
'No Islamist negotiations' At the same time, Ethiopian and Somali troops took the strategic stronghold of Baidoa in the south-west of the country held by militant group al-Shabab, which recently merged with al-Qaeda.
Continue reading the main story
Tragedy in numbers
- 21 years of conflict; 12,000 AU peacekeepers
- 2.3m people need food aid
- 2.5m people made homeless - 27% of population
- Pirates holding 10 ships and 159 hostages
- Annual global cost of piracy almost $7bn
On Wednesday evening, officials said a bomb planted by the militants exploded in the centre of Baidoa causing minor injuries.
Islamist insurgents who have been fighting the transitional
government since 2007 have said the London conference was another
attempt to colonise Somalia."They want us under trusteeship and we will not allow that. God willing we will face the outcome with full force and stop it," said al-Shabab spokesman Ali Mohamud Rage.
"A stronger America failed and all these Africans failed and we say you should not waste your time, you will lose. We also tell them not to waste their resources."
"For decades, the world has focused on what we could prevent from happening in Somalia - be it conflict, famine, or other disasters," AFP news agency quotes her as saying.
"Now we are focused on what we can build. The opportunity is real."
Somali leaders have said its challenges cannot be solved by military means alone and a parallel focus is needed on boosting humanitarian aid, education and law and order.
Despite being forced out of the capital, Mogadishu, last year, al-Shabab has continued to launch attacks in the city.
The BBC's Mohammed Dhore in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, says security is extremely tight in the city because of the conference, with more than 50 roadblocks compared to the usual five.
Union Jacks are also flying at major road junctions and government buildings, he says.
No comments:
Post a Comment