JEDDAH, 15 February 2004 — Somali human rights groups have urged the country’s warlords to restore peace and work toward a comprehensive reconciliation at the ongoing peace talks in Kenya, a statement issued by 13 rights groups said. The year-long talks aimed at bringing peace to Somalia are being attended by delegates from the armed factions, civil societies groups and other politicians.
“Somali leaders should achieve a comprehensive reconciliation process at their ongoing peace talks in Kenya. The leaders should initiate the best way to salvage their countrymen from their militias. The Somalis are tired of continuous violence and fighting,” said the statement, a copy of which was received by Arab News.
The statement urged Somalis to endorse the recent peace accord and stage peace rallies.
Somali participants in the peace talks signed an accord on a transitional charter on Jan. 29. Under the accord, clan elders will select a parliament that will in turn elect a president. The president will appoint a prime minister and government to lead the country to polls after five years and oversee the writing of a new constitution. But 18 of the signatories said in a statement that the text of the accord was changed.
“We kindly request the UN, African Union, Arab League, and East African body of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to initiate a new way to deal with the warlords. Many times, the warlords rejected peace deals that they had signed. We also request the international community to provide adequate assistance to the needy, orphanages and health centers, despite the closure of Al-Haramain Foundation. The charity has been funding many humanitarian activities in the country,” said the statement.
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A United Nations staff member freed from captivity has said that he was not ill-treated, press reports said.
Rolf Helmrich, who is a member of the UN field security team serving in the country, was abducted on Jan. 29, at a point in southern region of Lower Jubba by gunmen. He was released and flown home on Sunday.
Helmrich told newsmen that the worst part of his abduction had been “the actual hostage taking”, during which weapons were brandished and shots fired.
However, “I was not mistreated by the hostage takers, in fact toward the end they wanted me as their commander,” he said, adding that he had been held in the bush near the town of Jilib by between 11 and 14 militiamen. He was given a can of tuna in vegetable oil for meals every day for the 10 days in captivity.
“You’ll have to make a new recipe to make me eat tuna ever again,” he said.
