Leaders reject expanded retreat

Members of the Somali leaders' committee attending peace talks in Kenya say they will reject the expansion of a proposed retreat for Somali leaders, one of the leaders told IRIN on Monday. Mogadishu-based faction leader Muhammad Qanyare Afrah said the retreat should be limited "to the 24 leaders who signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement [in Eldoret in October 2002], plus [Transitional National Government President] Abdiqassim Salad Hassan". "We will also welcome observers from the civil society groups, but there should not be an expansion of the leaders' committee," he noted. Qanyare said the retreat was supposed to be for "recognised leaders and not newly minted leaders". "Our position on this is very clear. If they bring any new ones [leaders] we will not sit with them," he warned. The 10-day retreat is due to begin in Mombasa on 18 December and is expected to bring together most of the Somali leaders "to give them a chance to iron out outstanding issues and chart the way forward", said James Kiboi of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) technical committee, which is steering the talks. Kiboi admitted that "there have been problems with the invitation list, but we are hopeful that all those invited will show up". He added that "it is anticipated that the number of invitees might be up to 41". Qanayare, however, said that such a number would be unacceptable to the "20 leaders who are here". The IGAD-sponsored talks began in October 2002 in the western Kenyan town of Eldoret, but were moved to the capital, Nairobi, in February this year. They have been dogged by wrangles over issues such as an interim charter (draft constitution), the number of participants in the talks and the selection of future parliamentarians.