NAIROBI, 30 January 2004 — Somali warlords and politicians yesterday signed a landmark accord in Nairobi on the formation of a Parliament that will elect a national president for the battle-scarred Horn of Africa country.
The accord was signed by a representative of the Transitional National Government (TNG), which holds little sway outside the capital Mogadishu; Somali warlords and other leaders, including some who had earlier walked out of long-running peace talks in Kenya.
It envisages an assembly of 275 representatives.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, who hosted the signing in State House, urged the signatories to respect the agreement in order to end the suffering endured by the Somali people since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991 and the nation plunged into anarchy.
“We want Somalia to be a prosperous nation... You should commit yourself to the agreement made here,” Kibaki said.
“Kenya will make available all the resources to pacify Somalia. Please stop the suffering of your people,” Kibaki added.
Earlier yesterday Kenyan Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka predicted a swift evolution of the political situation in Somalia.
“We hope there will a functional government in Somalia within one month,” Musyoka said.
The deal’s signing will herald a new phase in the current peace process. The first phase ended with the 2002 ceasefire, which was repeatedly violated.
Meanwhile, Somali gunmen yesterday kidnapped a German UN worker near the town of Kismayo, 500 km south of Mogadishu, a militia chief said.
“We will send our militia forces to search and seek to free the German and catch those who did this crime,” the military head of the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA) militia, Mohamed Jimale said.
A UN spokeswoman in Nairobi declined to comment.
