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The
26th Session of the Council of Ministers Meeting held its meeting in
Jowhar in Somalia at the invitation of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
H.E
Ali Mohamed Gedi the Prime Minister of the TFG of Somalia opened the
meeting. The meeting was chaired by Hon. Augustine Nshimye, Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation of the Republic
of Uganda and attended by H.E. Mohamud Ali Yussuf Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Djibouti, H.E Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs Somalia, H.E. Tekeda Alemu the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Ismael Mohamed A.Dafi representing Sudan, Mr.
Yohannes Berhe represented the State of Eritrea, Mr. Thuita Mwangi
represented the Government of Kenya,Mr. Daniel Yifru represented IGAD, H.E.
Francois Fall represented the United Nations, and Ambassador Muhammad Ali
Foum represented the African Union.
The following
organization and countries sent observers to the meeting; EU, Italy, U.k,
Sweden, and Slovak Republic.
The Council:
Received an update on the current situation, and particularly on the
state of the ongoing reconciliation process in Somalia from H.E. Prime
Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi;
Reviewed the political progress made by the TFG and expressed
appreciation for the sustained efforts undertaken within the TFI’s, with the
view of establishing links of dialogue to overcome differences of political
approaches and consolidate established state institutions as a legitimate
base for the new emerging Somalia;
Noted the visit of the Prime Minister of the TFG to Mogadishu and
expressed appreciation for his endeavor to engage in dialogue for
normalizing the political situation in Mogadishu and to raise public
awareness, in relation to peace dividend opportunities;
Condemns the attempt made on the life of the Prime Minister and
safety of his delegation during the visit to Mogadishu, which led to human
loss and unwarranted suffering of innocent people, and this regard calls
upon the UN Security council to consider taking appropriate measures against
the perpetrators and possible instigators, including investigations and
subsequent criminal indictments;
Determined to insure those who persist in undermining the peace and
reconciliation process, should be held individually liable;
In
this regard, the Council;
1.
Restates its resolve to encourage all Somali party dialogue to
accomplish the reconciliation process; however those who deliberately
continue to obstruct the process risk decisive measures being taken against
them, including referring them to the International Criminal Court of
Justice (ICCJ);
2.
Encourages the TFG to maintain and show sprit of dialogue, making
this process constant, throughout all its political conduct with a view of
reaching out to all members of the TFI’s;
3.
Urges all the Somali people to appreciate that security and
stability is prerequisite to any form of development and reconstruction of
their country, and calls upon them to support their President and his
Government in the task of further reconciliation within the country and
reconstruction of the country in general;
4.
Recognizes the serious concern of the TFG and neighboring maritime
states about the severe threat posed by the upsurge in cases of piracy and
International Terrorism, along the Somalia coastline and marine waters and
decides in this respect, to coordinate their strategies and
action plans to face this common challenge in close collaboration with the
international community;
5.
Appeals to all countries and parties not to undertake any action
that, directly or indirectly, would encourage in any form factionalism of
groupings that may affect cohesion within the Transitional Federal
Institutions or the smooth and effective functioning of those institutions;
6.
Decides that those individuals, groups or factions that continue to
defy and undermine the peace and reconciliation process should be identified
and isolated, and this regard calls upon the international community, to
apply whatever punitive measures that are necessary to enforce the will of
the Somali people;
7.
Recognizes the urgency of undertaking immediate IGAD advocacy
missions to sensitize the international community on issues of sustained
political, material and financial support to Somalia, in line with the
priorities documented in the Rapid Assistance Program (RAP);
8.
Encourages all IGAD member states to establish diplomatic
representations with the TFG, following the AU example which has opened a
liaison office in Jowhar, with the view to developing regional cooperation
in all sectors and promoting good neighborly relations among all IGAD Member
States in all spheres;
9.
Shares the sentiments of the TFG that unrelenting political support,
material and financial aid are essential to enable the TFI’s to function
properly and to provide the country with the necessary administrative
capacity building to meet the basic needs of the population, fulfill the
minimum expectations of the general public and the society in general;
10. Takes
note of the recent successful visit of the Prime Minister Ali
Mohamed Gedi to Europe and hails the assistance promised for the
stabilization of Somalia through proper National Security Plan and formation
of law enforcement agencies and related institutional structures under joint
coordination of EU/AU and TFG as well as pledge made for the reconstruction
of Somalia;
11.Notes that the IGASOM troops have not been deployed in
accordance with the directives of the Abuja IGAD Summit of 31st January
2005, and the approval granted on 12th May 2005 by the AU Peace and Security
Council (PSC); in this regard, urges both Sudan and Uganda to
continue to be in state of readiness for deployment when conditions permit
and urges AU to expedite the support to deploy the IGASOM;
12. Recommends
that, in the in the meantime, IGAD deploy a Military Observer
Mission of an appropriate size as an advance mission of IGASOM to undertake
observation of the cessation of hostilities agreement and the envisaged DDR
and the monitoring of the grassroots reconciliation mechanism, and calls
upon the AU to provide the necessary finance for this purpose;
13. Underlines
the necessity to appoint a joint TFG/IGAD/AU panel of high level legal and
diplomatic experts to conduct in-depth review and analysis both from legal
and political point of view, in such a way that it would be compatible with
the purposes of achieving lasting peace and stability in Somalia and
empowering IGAD and thereafter the AU, to deploy a peace stabilization
mission, in conformity with AU and IGAD resolutions, in tandem with the TFG
efforts;
14.Underlines further the necessity in recognizing that
Somalia has a legitimate government and in line with the Transitional
Federal Charter, has the solemn right to establish, train and equip its law
enforcement authorities, while seeking, regional and international
cooperation towards achieving that goal of lifting the UN arms Embargo;
15.Calls upon the United Nations Security Council to take
appropriate and enabling action to pave the way for the earliest deployment
IGASOM;
16.Urges the international community to extend robust support
to the TFG and show more readiness to meet the urgent needs of the TFI’s and
the country in all sectors, as expeditiously as possible;
17.Calls upon the TFG and the international donor community to
work towards the establishment of an effective high level mechanism to
mobilize supportive aid resources to the TFG programs, and to convene an
international pledging conference for the reconstruction of Somalia as early
as possible;
18.Decides that IGAD shall fully remain seized with the
process of stabilization and deepening of the peace, through the support of
the state institution, and to this end calls on the international community
to provide the necessary financial and material support;
19.Recommends to convene a Summit of Heads of State and
Government of IGAD early next year so as to further strengthen the
achievements and goals of the TFG and
20. Expresses
gratitude for the warm welcome, brotherly reception and generous hospitality
extended to all the delegates participating at the meeting, and commended
the TFG, the Middle Shabelle Authority and the people of Jowhar for hosting
the meeting and for the facilities made available to participants that
ensured a successful outcome of the meeting.
Issued at Jowhar
on 29 November, 2005
_____________________________________________
Djibouti
Eritrea Ethiopia
Kenya
Somalia
Sudan Uganda
P. O. Box 2653 Djibouti,
Tel (253) 354050
Fax (253) 356994/ 356284/ 353520,
E-mail
igad@intnet.dj
Web site
www.igad.org
National Palace
Addis Ababa
08 December 2005 |
