Kolonzo issues a clarification statement to resuscitate Somali peace talks

[General Duke]

Kolonzo issues a clarification statement to resuscitate Somali peace talks

- Tuesday, February 17, 2004 at 22:35

 

Nairobi (AllPuntland) – A two-page clarification statement which attempts to salvage the ongoing Somali peace talks dogged by continuous disputes was issued earlier today by the office of Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stephen Kolonzo Musyoka, also the current Chairman of IGAD’s Ministerial Committee.

 

 

 

Extensive negotiations and exhaustive diplomatic manoeuvring had paid off in the form of a settlement over reported enigmatic fraudulent amendments slipped into the January 29 peace pact reached between Somali Leaders Committee and the Facilitation Committee in Nairobi, which resulted in the issuance of the clarification statement.

 

 

 

The statement addresses disputed issues. Such issues which caused much of the disagreements included: recognised political leaders in the Somali reconciliation and peace conference, representation and political entities, civil society organisations, and most importantly a proposed plan to by-pass the obligatory plenary session to approve the stipulations of the January 29 peace pact. A highly contested issue was the definition of Article 30, section (i) of the transitional constitutional Federal Charter for the Republic of Somalia which deals with “recognised political leaders” in the selection of members of the Parliament (MPs) in the final phase.

 

 

 

Our local reporter in Nairobi obtained a copy of the clarification statement, and envisages that today’s statement from Kenya’s Office of Foreign Affairs addresses the said issues in a manner deemed agreeable to all parties, and satisfactory to the Somali Leaders Committee.

 

 

 

On the issue of the making good of the original agreement signed on the 29th of January, the statement begins:

 

 

 

“I deem it necessary to issue the following clarification after the signing of a declaration on the harmonisation of various issues proposed by the Somali delegates on the 29th of January 2004 as State House, Nairobi......”

 

 

 

It also states that the amendments made at the Safari Park shall remain as signed, with the 17th of February remedial declaration making good of the intended original covenant, thereby reinforcing the January 29 peace accord as amended herein.

 

 

 

On the issue of who are considered “the recognised political leaders” which lies at the centre of the dispute, the statement clarifies in item three that:

 

 

 

“The sentence “Leaders invited to the consultative meetings in Nairobi as from the 9th of January 2004” is superfluous”

 

 

 

This dismisses the notion that the Leaders Committee will comprise of leaders at the Consultation Conference at Safari Park.

 

 

 

It further notes with regards to the selection of Members of the Parliament (MPs) that:

 

 

 

“The actual process of selection of members of parliament would be undertaken at the sub-clan level by the recognized political leaders comprising of the Transitional National Government (TNG), the National Salvation Council (NSC), Regional Administrations, the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC), the Group of Eight (G8) political alliance and the Civil Society and endorsed by genuine traditional leaders”.

 

 

 

The interpretation here is that in the “the recognised political leaders” refers to the original Somali Leaders Committee, signatories of the Eldoret Cessation of Hostilities in October of 2002.

 

 

 

It also reiterates that the process of selection of MPs will be based on the established 4.5 formula in that it reads:

 

 

 

“The selection process would be undertaken under the 4.5 clan based formula”

 

 

 

And finally, the clarification refutes the claim of Abdiqassim Salat Hassan of the Arta TNG being the President of Somalia and a witness, and not a signatory to the January 29 peace accord. Only President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, chairman of the IGAD Facilitation Committee was a witness to the January 29 pact.

 

 

 

“So long as the process in itself is not suspect, there is still hope for the peace talks” according to a political observer in Nairobi.

 

 

 

“IGAD and the Facilitation Committee regained its stature and status as a non-partisan body in the eyes of the Somali leaders, and that is vital for the peace talks to succeed” he added.

 

 

 

So far, no group has voiced any objection to the clarification statement. However, it is not certain what will come of it after Somali leaders had subjected the document to scrutiny in their separate corners. And as the law of nature in Somali peace talks would have it, fresh round of disputes could be anticipated.

 

 

 

AllPuntland News Desk