The Somalia
National Peace Conference opened on Thursday after completing
its consultative phase.
Since
early May clan elders have been meeting to chose lists of
delegates for the conference phase of the peace process, which
is taking place in Arta, some 35 km south of the capital Djibouti.
The first
working session was expected to begin at 03:00 p.m. (12:00
GMT). At the closing session of the elders meetings on 13
June, a "General Agreement" was formally approved.
It consisted
of six points:
1. Peace
and reconciliation should be reached among all clans in general
and specifically among those with ongoing conflict.
2. The
Somali people should form an all-inclusive Somali government
3. The
unity of Somalia is sacrosanct.
4. All
assets, fixed or non-fixed, national or private, confiscated
during thecivil war, should be returned to their rightful
owners in a process to be overseen by the newly-formed government.
5. Human
rights should be respected and protected.
6. The
international community is requested to assist the Somali
peace process taking place at Arta, Republic of Djibouti,
and to recognise the government that will be formed.
Sources
close to the meeting told IRIN that the conference was expected
to focus on decentralised structures of government.
Other
issues will be the special status of Mogadishu, elections,
and the choosing of a cabinet, parliament and government leadership.
Representatives
of all clans are reported to be present at the peace process
although some faction leaders and autonomous administrations
have opposed it.
A regional
analyst told IRIN Somalis in the self-declared state of Somaliland
were "not totally united against the process although a major
portion is opposed to it".
The UN
Security Council has requested member states to provide assistance
for the conference, which is increasingly likely to be time-constrained
by financial considerations.
The cost
of a process involving some 1,000 observers, delegates and
elders has so far been borne overwhelmingly by the Djibouti
government.
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