30 March 2007
editorial
Nairobi — The escalation of violence in Mogadishu, despite the presence of an Africa peace-keeping force, is worrying, indeed. It is also a very strong indicator that the troubles in Somalia will not be resolved by force.
As long as the Transitional Government is seen to be in office only courtesy of the Ethiopian military machine, seen as foreign interlopers, it will not be able to secure support of the majority.
And as long as the African Union troops - a small initial detachment from Uganda is already in place - are seen to have been sent principally to prop up the Transitional Government, they will not succeed in their mission. Instead, they will be exposed to grave danger.
The Transitional Government is planning to host an all-inclusive national reconciliation conference within a fortnight. This conference must be open to all groups who have stake and a say in Somalia, and it must have the ultimate objective of forming a broad-based administration in which no group will be shut out.
In his capacity as chairman of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) - the regional body that has spearheaded peace-making efforts in the Horn of Africa - President Kibaki on Wednesday addressed the 19th League of Arab States Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He appealed to the international community to help in efforts to restore peace in Somalia. We believe he was appealing directly to the Arab countries, which can exercise a great deal of clout in the region.
They can play an important role in funding the deployment of AU troops and also in helping the Transitional Government strengthen its institution of governance.
Just as important, however, is the clout they can exercise in persuading the exiled Union of Islamic Courts leaders to return to Somalia and play their rightful role in re-building the shattered country.
Between Igad and the Arab League, a lot of pressure can be brought on both sides to reach a settlement that will be good for Somalia.
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