Progress reported at peace talks

The organisers of the Kenyan-hosted Somali peace conference are reported to be in a buoyant mood after three major clans and minority groups delivered lists of their participants to the six technical committees, a source close to the talks told IRIN on Tuesday. The committees are to produce recommendations on core issues identified by the conference, including federalism, disarmament, and land rights. However, the committee phase has been held up by wrangling over the allocation of the plenary seats. Last week, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), under whose auspices the talks were convened, proposed a new, clan-based formula to try to break the deadlock. The talks, which started on 15 October, have stalled over the issue of apportioning clan-based seats to the conference's plenary sessions, and on the setting up of the technical committees, with some clans unable to agree on how many seats should go to sub-clans. "The Hawiye, Dir, and the Digil-Mirifle and the minorities handed over their lists on Monday," the source told IRIN. The remaining major clan, the Darood, was still holding discussions and had yet to submit its list of nominees for the proposed committees. "Everyone is extremely happy. The mood at the Sirikwa [hotel where the talks are being held] is buoyant for the first time in weeks," a regional observer told IRIN on Tuesday. "It looks as if the committees will be in place by the end of the week." Each of the four main clans have been allocated 30 seats in the committees, with 18 seats allocated to minorities. Each of the main clans is expected to allocate six of its seats to clan members represented within civil society. A Somali source told IRIN that even if the clans were able to decide on distribution over the next few days, the process would still take more time. "It will take time to name an individual because of the perception among the delegates that if you are not in the committees or the plenary, then you will not a get a position in a future government," he said.