Faction leaders agree on participation

After weeks of wrangling over the number of participants attending the Somali peace talks in the Kenyan town of Eldoret, faction leaders have agreed to a maximum figure of 300.

Sources close to the talks told IRIN on Monday the agreement came after the leaders met the conference chairman, Elijah Mwangale of Kenya, two days earlier. The only non-signatory was Mogadishu faction leader Muse Sudi Yalahow.

In an earlier statement, the leaders' committee had called for representation by 400 participants, after the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) - which is brokering the conference - said the numbers attending phase two of the talks should be reduced to 287.

IGAD said it would meet the costs of sending surplus delegates back to Somalia, but those who did not register to return by a 12 December deadline would have to meet their own transport costs.

In agreeing to a maximum of 300 participants, the leaders' committee said these would be divided along clan lines.

The leaders have also called for accelerating phase two of the talks, which includes discussions on a provisional federal charter, disarmament, and land issues.

They say they want it to run concurrently with phase three, which is to deal with power-sharing. Furthermore, they have called for the establishment of a 450-seat parliament.

Their statement said the conference had now been brought back under "Somali ownership". The leaders' committee earlier accused IGAD's technical committee - which is piloting the talks - of "creating obstacles" to the peace process, saying its role should be limited to that of "facilitator".

They also thanked Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi for hosting the talks, and called for his continued involvement in the peace process even after he steps down from power after Kenya's general elections later this month.

However, regional analysts have warned that the latest agreement is lacking in substance, and that the process is being directed by the faction leaders rather than engaging total "Somali ownership".

"It's a step forward, but not necessarily in the right direction," one observer told IRIN. "The role of civil society has to be protected, and a serious debate on technical issues is needed."

"The technical committee runs the risk of repeating the mistakes of past peace processes, where the warlords reached an agreement but failed to get down to the finer details," he added.