Salad F. Duhul, Arab News
Somali human rights groups have urged the countryâs 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. âSomali 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,â said the statement, a copy of which was received by Arab News.
| There's enough shooting and killing going on just in the normal course of Somali society... |
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. âWe 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,â said the statement. |