New approach needed to save peace talks, says ICG

The Somali peace talks under way in Kenya are in danger of collapsing unless the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), under whose auspices they are being held, succeeds in ending internal divisions, and the international community provides more support, the Brussels-based think-tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG), has warned.

In a report issued on Tuesday, the ICG said that "to save the talks, IGAD must first overcome its own internal divisions", and the US and the EU "must re-engage at a higher level in both helping to resolve regional differences and supporting the process more directly".

The talks, which have lasted over a year, are in the doldrums since the signing of a transitional charter, on 29 January. On that date, the leaders of the various Somali groups signed what was described as "a landmark breakthrough" agreement on contentious issues that had earlier plagued the talks.

Since then, however, a number of those leaders have expressed reservations about the agreement and called for the postponement of the third phase of talks until "contentious issues" are resolved. Others have called instead for the next phase of talks to be convened in Somalia.

The ICG report said that moving the process into the third and final phase would result in "certain failure... unless fundamental flaws are addressed first".

"A successful strategy will have to allow time for harmonising divergent approaches of neighbouring states, addressing structural issues, bringing international leverage to bear on the relevant actors, dealing with the debt incurred by the peace process, and creating a realistic budget and time-line for the remainder of the conference," the report said.

It made a number of recommendations, including the initiation of preparations for implementing any agreement that may be reached.

The ICG called for a review of the terms of reference of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia "with a view to its taking a more proactive role in a reinvigorated peace effort". It called on the UN Security Council to provide for "procedures for imposing sanctions against violators of the arms embargo..., violators of the ceasefire agreement as identified by the Monitoring Group, and those whom it finds obstructing the peace process in other ways".

Full report available at: www.crisisweb.org