• A successful conclusion to Somalia’s National Reconciliation Congress

• Norwegian diplomats ordered out; Norway threatens a cut in aid

• Prime Minister Meles meets the UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs

• Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister in Addis Ababa

• A UN humanitarian mission visits the Somali Regional State

• Somalia's National Reconciliation Congress wound up forty five days of deliberations on Thursday, deciding to draft a constitution by 2009 when Somalis will go to the polls to elect their leaders. The Congress, which brought together clan leaders, community elders, and representatives from the Diaspora and a cross section of various political persuasions, endorsed the formation of political parties according to a legal framework to be worked out by the government. It also called for an equitable share of resources and power.  Somalis of any political orientation will be allowed to compete for public offices, whether they are deputies or not, according to their capacity and efficiency. In its first phase, the congress discussed 11 agenda items, agreeing to end clan conflicts, to return properties taken by force during the seventeen years of civil strife to their rightful owners, and calling for the demobilization of clan militias and vocational training before their reintegration into the society. 

Speaking at the closing session of the congress, President Abdullahi Yusuf promised participants that government will hand over power to the winner of the 2009 Somali elections in accordance with the decisions of the meeting. Violence, said the President, will not be tolerated and the final say in deciding the government’s future will rest with the public. The UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Francois Fall, delivering a message from the UN Secretary General, congratulated the Somali people on their success at reconciliation which he said will lay the foundation for peace and stability. Mr. Fall, who also represented the International Advisory Group, praised the Congress as a successful Somali-driven meeting, but said it did not signify the end of the reconciliation process. He noted other key actions that he said were fundamental for peace and reconciliation including strengthening governance, respect for human rights, strengthening the role of civil society and of women in particular, and the reintegration of refugees and internally displaced people. Attending elders described the Congress as a stepping stone towards further peace, and the government noted that it would continue to pursue reconciliation. Government spokesman, Abdi Haji Gobdon, said contacts had been established with the political opposition and once they agreed to meet, a suitable venue would be found.            

Other speeches were given by Prime Minister Gedi and the speaker of parliament. The closing sessions were attended by representatives from the United Nations, the European Union, the Arab League, the African Union, as well as Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt. China, in the person of its ambassador in Kenya, promised financial and technical support to the TFG; and the African Union ambassador pledged support in the form of more peacekeepers. 

In the end, the Congress defied the anticipations, even the expectations of failure, from outside experts and critics, and those attempting to act as “spoilers” in Mogadishu. Somalis from all walks of life have written a new chapter in their history. Delegates have demonstrated to the world, and the international community, their commitment to peace, their ability to forgive for the common good, and their belief in the resurrection of the Somalia state in the face of the seemingly insurmountable challenges that Somalia has suffered for so long.  

 Meanwhile, a ten man team of military officials from Burundi flew into Mogadishu this week. They were on a reconnaissance mission, to inspect planned facilities for their troops, and the positions in which they will be based. Two Burundi brigades, of 850 soldiers each, are now expected to be deployed early in September. The 1,700 troops will join 1,600 Ugandan soldiers who have been in Mogadishu since March as the vanguard of the planned 8,000 strong AMISOM force. The Ugandan troops have been guarding Mogadishu’s airport and port, as well as providing security for senior government officials and guarding the presidential palace.  

• This week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement requesting the Government of Norway to reduce the number of its diplomatic staff in Addis Ababa from nine to three people, the Ambassador and two others. The statement said this was because the Government of Norway had been attempting to build up its international image as a regional peace-maker at the expense of the stability and security of Ethiopia and of the Horn of Africa, while working consistently to acquire leverage with forces of instability in the region. A government spokesman said these included the Islamic Courts in Somalia, insurgent groups active in Ethiopia, and Eritrea. The ministry’s statement stressed that Ethiopia did not want to escalate the issue, and it still hoped to engage the Government of Norway in a serious and transparent dialogue over issues of common concern including consequences of Norwegian activity. Norwegian officials said they were surprised and shocked by the move which might lead to a reduction of aid. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said this would be the consequence of the resulting staff shortage at the embassy, leaving it with insufficient capacity to monitor aid funds. Mr. Stoere said he hoped to be able to meet Foreign Minister Seyoum at the UN General Assembly in New York next month. 

• On Wednesday, Prime Minister Meles told Lyn Pascoe, UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, that Ethiopia is always open to a peaceful resolution of the border dispute with Eritrea.  During talks with Prime Minister Meles, Undersecretary Pascoe said the UN regarded Ethiopia's efforts to peacefully resolve the stalemate positively.  In connection with Somalia, Meles said the National Reconciliation Congress which brought together delegates from across the nation had made significant progress.  Prime Minister Meles called upon the international community to support the TFG in its effort to maintain peace and security. The UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs commended Ethiopia for its efforts to maintain peace and stability in Somalia as well as the Horn of Africa generally. Mr. Pascoe has also visited Asmara.

This week, the Premier met and held talks with Rear Admiral James Hart, the Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). Rear Admiral Hart briefed Prime Minister Meles on the Joint Task Force’s activities pertaining to the maintenance of peace and stability in addition to conflict prevention in the region. Admiral Hart stressed that the Joint Task Force has the duty of protecting the interests of the United States and its allies from possible attacks by terrorists.           

• On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Seyoum met with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Costa Rica, Bruno Stagno. Minister Stagno was on a visit to Ethiopia as part of a tour of the region and Africa. He is also visiting Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Yemen as well as South Africa. Costa Rica is asking Ethiopia to support its bid to be one of the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Costa Rica is a candidate, along with the Dominican Republic, for the Central and Latin American seat on the Council. Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin told Minister Stagno, that Africa and Latin America are strategic partners seeking to achieve growth and development.  In this regard, he said, bilateral ties and South-South Cooperation should be encouraged as they reflect genuine collective interest in economic prosperity. Minister Seyoum briefed Foreign Minister Stagno on the prevailing situation in Somalia and the progress made by the National Reconciliation Congress. Terrorism, he said, remained a threat to the region and a challenge too. Ethiopia had to defend itself and thwart threats to its security and national interests.  Minister Seyoum said that Africa was moving in the right direction economically, with an average growth rate of over 5% despite the challenges of conflict, epidemics and natural disasters. With regard to the stalemate with Eritrea, Minister Seyoum underlined Ethiopia's unwavering stance for sustainable peace. This, he said, was indispensable for the fight to beat poverty and improve people’s livelihood. For his part, Minister Stagno said Costa Rica would like to expand its horizons, and one of the purposes of his visit was to have an overview of Africa, making Ethiopia a platform for furthering Costa Rica’s ties with African nations. Costa Rica, he said, would like to engage with Ethiopia and other African countries to promote multilateralism, the rule of law and the respect for human rights as well as bilateral issues. 

• On Thursday, UN humanitarian assessment mission to the Somali region arrived in Jigjiga. The mission, headed by Fidele Salassoro, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, is made up of members of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Department of Safety and Security, the Office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Despite erroneous claims by journalists and other groups, the government has welcomed the mission and is facilitating its work for a humanitarian assessment in the Somali Regional State. Indeed, in a statement issued earlier the government made it clear to any interested parties that it would provide every assistance to those who wished to visit the area and see the current humanitarian situation for themselves. The UN mission will focus on assessing humanitarian needs in the region, and in particular the levels of access to food, water, health and nutrition services.

• On Wednesday, the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) responded to allegations that the recent negotiations with Starbucks, the US Coffee giant, had not been as successful as claimed. The EIPO said the negotiations, concluded on June 20th 2007, had been successful. Ethiopia had not conceded or altered any of its principles or objectives. The agreement was not only satisfactory in its own right, but had already encouraged a number of other companies to work with Ethiopia. In its statement the EIPO said that the Coffee Trademark and Licensing Initiative, started in 2004, was making impressive progress. The main aim of the initiative was to register ownership of Ethiopia fine coffee brands, in particular Harar, Sidamo and Yirgachaffe. Registered trademarks have been achieved in 28 countries and there are ongoing applications in India, Brazil, China, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Some of these applications remain under challenge but in no cases, says the EIPO, have its options for registration run out. As a result of these negotiations, Ethiopia is now entering into new agreements with companies that import, roast and retail fine coffees round the world. Twenty companies now accept Ethiopia ownership of specific coffee brands, irrespective of whether the trademarks have yet been secured; and they have committed themselves to invest in the promotion of these brands.