JEDDAH, 14 March 2004 — After a one-day meeting, the foreign ministers of East African countries have called on Somali warlords to return to peace talks in Kenya, a statement said yesterday.
The talks, which began in October 2002, are being attended by most clan-based faction leaders, but two months ago, some warlords had walked out of the gathering. They appealed to those who are currently in Somalia to return to the peace parley and help finalize a comprehensive peace accord for Somalia.
“The ministers appealed to those Somali leaders currently in Somalia to return to Nairobi immediately to participate in the remaining part of the peace process,” the foreign ministers said in the statement, a copy of which was received by Arab News. The ministers’ statement said they wanted the peace conference to move to a final power sharing phase in which the transitional charter will be put into effect, a parliament chosen and a government formed. The ministers agreed to meet on March 22 in Djibouti.
The peace talks aimed at finding a sustainable solution to the Somali problem are being sponsored by Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African body.
***
Food insecurity in the pastoral areas of north and central Somalia has worsened in the last three weeks as the dry season (January-March) progresses, a report warned.
European Commission and United States’ funded Food Security Analysis Unit and Famine Early Warning Network have jointly issued the updated information in the March Food Security Report for Somalia.
It noted an expansion in the areas affected and growth in the numbers of vulnerable people. About 95,000 people are currently facing a “humanitarian emergency” and another 123,000 a “livelihood crisis”. Both groups required immediate humanitarian assistance to prevent deaths, rising malnutrition and/or livelihood collapse, said the report.
Areas in the “humanitarian emergency” category had now expanded to cover most of Garowe and northwestern parts of Eyl districts. Areas in the “livelihood crisis” category had expanded to cover Burtinle, Eyl and most of Qardho districts.
The report said: “If the rainy season (April -June) failed, the situation in the pastoral areas of northern and central Somalia would escalate to a large-scale humanitarian emergency in terms of severity and magnitude. Even with average rains, humanitarian assistance would be required to support livelihoods following seven drought seasons.
The report highlighted that in the agricultural areas of southern Somalia, the total cereal harvest at rainy season (October-December) was close to the postwar average, but there remained vulnerability in certain regions which experienced crop failure or losses, particularly in Bakol, Hiran and Lower Juba. High sorghum prices in Bakol, Hiran and Gedo are also creating food access problems for poor households.
***
The president of northern region of breakaway Somaliland, Dahir Rayale Kahin, have left for Britain and Belgium to seek international recognition for Somaliland, media reports said yesterday.
Somaliland is a former British protectorate united with the southern regions, which was administrated by Italy in 1960. The two regions formed the Somali Republic in July of that year.
“We have been given the opportunity to visit Great Britain and present our case. We are doing this 44 years after we first got our independence from the colonial power,” Kahin told reporters. Taking the advantage of the collapse of Somalia’ government, Somaliland seceded in May 1991.
However, it has not been granted international recognition.
