• + Comment now
• Print
• Email
• Tweet
• Reset

Somali political analysts and civil society leaders welcomed the International Contact Group on Somalia's recommendations, which condemned violence by al-Shabaab and called on political parties to settle their differences.

During its latest meeting, which took place in Djibouti on February 6th-7th, the Contact Group praised recent military successes by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Somali government forces and their allies against the al-Shabaab movement.

The International Contact Group on Somalia also called for ending the transitional period in Somalia at its scheduled date in August. It called for resolving the political crisis in the Somali parliament, and called on Somali political parties and leaders to expand discussions to allow future political decisions to garner as much support as possible.

The Group said the London Conference on Somalia on February 23rd is an opportunity to focus efforts on peace and stability in Somalia.

"We are witnessing international and regional interest in the Somali cause after a prolonged period of neglect when it came to finding a solution for the Somali crisis," said political analyst Abdul Razaq Ali.

Ali called for a rapid implementation of the Contact Group's recommendations. He said the London conference and the June conference in Istanbul serve efforts to expand current gains and prepare for the end of the transitional period.

"It is incumbent upon Somalis in light of this international mobilisation and interest to take advantage of this current opportunity," he told Sabahi.

"International interest in the Somali cause is a necessity, not a desire, because the absence of security in Somalia poses a threat not only to Somalia, but also to countries in the region and also a real threat to international peace and security," Ali said. "Piracy and terrorism exist and underscore the urgency to remedy the state of instability in the country."

Tahir Hussain, assistant dean of the political science college at Mogadishu University, told Sabahi, "Somalia is now at a crossroads as it completes the Roadmap and successfully hands over political power, bringing the transitional period to an end."

"In light of divisions and the current crisis in the Somali parliament, not to mention the absence of a unified government and effective government institutions, it will be difficult to carry out the main tasks [necessary for] implementing the Roadmap," he said.

Political analyst Abdul Wahab Ahmed said the next stage will be decisive in terms of the country's political future. He said massive changes will take place before August, such as writing a new constitution that will end the transitional period and allow the transfer of power.

"Somalia is now going through a new stage and hopes are high for the future of the Somali people," Ahmed told Sabahi. "Somali leaders have to be aware of the importance of the current stage to be able to guide the country out of the bottleneck [it is in] and to march on with the political transition that will bring the transitional period to an end."

Secretary-General of the National Union of Somali Journalists Mohammed Ibrahim welcomed the Contact Group's condemnation of violence and the escalation of attacks against journalists and media institutions in Somalia. He said this reflects the increasing awareness of the international community and Somali authorities of the dangers faced by Somali journalists.

"For the first time, the International Contact Group on Somalia took a strong position in the face of increasing attacks against journalists and the dangers facing the media," Ibrahim told Sabahi. "The group also strongly condemned all forms of violence and terrorism perpetrated against Somali journalists and media institutions and called on authorities to put an end to impunity and prosecute those responsible for such crimes."

In its concluding statement, the Contact Group called on al-Shabaab and all other extremist groups in the country to renounce violence and join the peace process. The group also urged donors to provide support to AMISOM and to help strengthen the capacity of the Somali Transitional Federal Government forces.

The group also welcomed the opening of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia in Mogadishu and expressed hopes that other partner organisations would follow suit and open offices in the country.