Conference moves into second phase

The Somali national reconciliation conference has entered its second phase during which various committees will be set up to discuss the way forward, a source close to the mediators told IRIN.

This phase, which opened on Monday, was expected to concentrate on establishing federal government structures and agreeing on practical ways to address the issues of demobilisation, economic recovery and settlement of land disputes, the source said.

"The leaders' committee is meeting today [Monday] to discuss the selection of the participants of the committees," he added.

Six committees will be set up, one for each of the items on the agenda, a copy of which was made available to IRIN. These comprise "federalism and provisional federal charter; demobilisation and disarmament; land and property rights; economic institution building and resource mobilisation; conflict resolution and reconciliation; and regional and international relations".

Each of the committees was likely to have 15 members, and "act as a drafting body which will submit proposals for consideration by the leaders' committee [comprising the faction leaders the Transitional National Government (TNG) and five civil society members] and the plenary", the document stated.

However, it was not yet clear how the committee members would be selected, whether on a clan or a faction basis, a regional analyst told IRIN. "All indications are that now the technical committee has achieved a ceasefire, they won't concentrate on the faction leaders. They seem to be pushing for a stronger civil society involvement in the process," he added.

The second phase follows the signing last week by the Somali groups of a cessation of hostilities agreement.

The agreement was marred on 29 October by heavy fighting between rival factions in the southwestern town of Baidoa and in the Gedo Region, which claimed the lives of over 25 people, Somali sources told IRIN.

They said that some of the faction leaders, whose forces were involved in the clashes, came under pressure from the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development's technical committee, which warned them "in no uncertain terms to honour the agreement they signed or face the consequences".

The peace talks, underway in the Kenyan town of Eldoret, bring together over 500 delegates, representing armed factions, the TNG and civil society groups.