Terms for reconciliation talks established

A technical committee, meeting to prepare for Somali reconciliation talks, ended its deliberations on Friday by establishing the terms of reference for the conference.

Sources close to the meeting, held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi from 3-5 April, told IRIN the terms of reference included agreement on cessation of hostilities, recognising steps made so far in national reconciliation, discussing the concerns of the neighbouring states, and abiding by the outcome of the conference.

The Somali national reconciliation conference is due to be held later this month, but the sources said this was in doubt as more time was needed to prepare. They pointed out that the technical committee's report had to be approved by the Council of Ministers of the regional grouping, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is organising the conference scheduled to be held in Nairobi.

The technical committee, made up of the neighbouring states - Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya - was established by the IGAD foreign ministers' committee which met in Nairobi in February. Its mandate includes drawing up the terms of reference for the conference, determining the criteria for participation, deciding on the number of participants and monitoring the Somali peace process.

According to the sources, some 100-150 people will be invited to attend the conference and will include the Transitional National Government (TNG) and all other Somali parties "without any conditionalities". These include the opposition Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) and signatories to the Nakuru accord, signed by some faction leaders in December 2001. Other participants will include regional representatives from Somaliland, Puntland and the newly-declared State of Southwestern Somalia, as well as members of civil society groups and refugee representatives.