EU calls for reconciliation to achieve peace

Expressing concern over the situation in Somalia, members of the European Union's International Somalia Contact Group have called for a reconciliation process that would include the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC).

The UIC was last week routed by the Ethiopia-backed Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces from its stronghold in the capital, Mogadishu, and the southern part of the country.

"The situation in Somalia is far from stable, notably on the humanitarian side," Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's Foreign Minister, said on Wednesday in Brussels at the end of a meeting of the Contact Group. "Next week, we will know if Somalia engages on the way to political normalisation, with guarantees for freedoms and human rights and to a ceasefire or, on the other hand, to anarchy."

The meeting was attended by the European members (United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden and Norway) of the Contact Group, which was established in June 2006 on the initiative of the United States. The group also includes representatives of the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Arab League, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and Tanzania.

The meeting was held to take stock of the situation in Somalia and coordinate European efforts to contribute to the country's peace and reconciliation process.

Steinmeier said three conditions were crucial for Somalia's stability: the cessation of violence: "we should avoid any vacuum after the departure of the Ethiopian troops," he said; "the improvement of the humanitarian conditions for the internally displaced persons"; and "the process of reconciliation".

Steinmeier said the TFG was now obliged to guarantee a process of normalisation. "We are keen on the relaunch of the internal process," he said. "The base of this process should be enlarged if this process is to succeed."

On the possibility of an international military force in Somalia, Steinmeier said this would be discussed on Friday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, at a meeting of the whole Contact Group. "If an international presence is required, it will be of African origin," Steinmeier said. "The financing [of such a force] was not discussed at this stage."

EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, also attended the Brussels meeting. On 22 December 2006, he led a peace mission to meet the TFG and the UIC. At that time, he told the daily Belgian newspaper, "Le Soir", that, "One cannot consolidate any solution in Somalia if one doesn't consolidate the situation in Sudan, if one doesn't find a solution between Ethiopia and Eritrea. We should also pay attention to Djibouti who could play a more important role."

The 27 member countries of the EU Council are scheduled to discuss Somalia on 22 January.

Meanwhile, a deadline set the by the TFG for clans in Mogadishu to hand over their weapons has expired. On 1 January, interim Prime Minister, Ali Muhammad Gedi, gave the clans three days to hand over their arsenal or be disarmed.

"The response so far has been negligible," a local resident said. "There were a few technicals that have been handed in, but unfortunately there are hundreds in the city."

He said the expiry of the deadline had created panic among the public, with many leaving the city. "Many people are leaving Mogadishu fearing renewed clashes if the government uses force to try and disarm people."

Government Spokesman, Abdirahman Dinari, told IRIN the government would insist on disarming the population, adding, "The government position on disarmament has not changed.”

Another source said despite the expiry of the deadline, the government was not expected to use force "anytime soon. I think they will first try negotiations with the clans before they resort to force".

At the Kenya-Somalia border, hundreds of asylum seekers were still being denied entry into Kenya, aid workers said. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said nothing has changed since the border was closed on Wednesday. “We had a meeting with the Foreign Ministry and their position remains that the border is closed,” said Millicent Mutuli, regional spokeswoman for UNHCR.

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