Neighbouring states urged not to fuel discord

A regional bloc spearheading efforts to restore peace in Somalia has urged neighbouring states to refrain from doing anything that might exacerbate the crisis, amid reports of the presence of foreign troops and arms smuggling.

The call was made at the end of an extraordinary meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday of foreign ministers of the Intergovernmental Authority of Development (IGAD) countries to discuss developments in Somalia after the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) took control of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and surrounding areas. The UIC’s actions have put it on a collision course with Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG), set up in 2004 after reconciliation talks brokered by IGAD.

"The Council [of ministers] called upon all member states to exercise restraint and ensure their actions do not jeopardise the Somali peace process. Similarly, the Council warns all internal forces in Somalia not to engage in any actions that threaten the security and stability of the neighbouring countries," stated a communiqué released after the meeting. IGAD is comprised of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Somalia.

The IGAD statement, which did not name the states meddling in the affairs of Somalia, "urged countries within and without the region to strictly adhere to the United Nations Security Council arms embargo on Somalia".

The embargo was imposed in 1992, a year after the government headed by the late Muhammad Siyad Barre was toppled and Somalia descended into anarchy and bloodletting as rival warlords fought for the control of territory and resources.

IGAD, which has also proposed sending a peacekeeping force to help the TFG establish its authority, welcomed efforts by the Arab League, under the chairmanship of Sudan, to facilitate dialogue between the TFG and the UIC. It said heads of armed forces from the member states would meet "as soon as possible" and work with the African Union to prepare a mission plan for the proposed peacekeeping force.

One of the major bones of contention between the TFG and the UIC is the Islamic group's opposition to foreign peacekeeping forces in Somalia.

The special representative for Somalia of the UN Secretary-General, François Lonseny Fall, called for continued dialogue between the TFG and the UIC. "It is necessary to have the agreement of all parties not to engage in hostilities in any form and for their forces to remain in place and not make any move that could be seen by others to be provocative," he said. "Once an agreement has been negotiated, there may be a role for the peace support mission, as a neutral third party, to observe and possibly monitor the ceasefire through the deployment of a relatively small, unarmed observer force," Fall added.

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