Angola Press
NAIROBI, 05/29 – The regional bloc Inter- Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has appealed to the international community to continue with efforts to end conflicts in Somalia as latest violence claimed more lives in the capital Mogadishu.
Kibaki, who is also the chairman of seven-member regional grouping which brokered the two-year reconciliation conference in Nairobi, said the world should also provide financial aid to Somalia as it moves towards reinstating other essential structures of the government including the judiciary, army, police and immigration authorities.
“The head of state once again reaffirmed Kenya`s commitment to the realization of lasting peace in the Horn of Africa country, saying as the current chair of IGAD he will work tirelessly to ensure the gains made so far will bear positive fruits,” said the statement from the Presidential Press Services.
The Kenyan leader made the plea in Nairobi during a meeting with U.S Counter-terrorism Coordinator Ambassador Henry Crumpton who paid him a courtesy call.
He also said the east African nation will support efforts by the international community in the search for a lasting solution to terrorism and its effects.
Speaking during the meeting, Ambassador Crumpton commended Kenya for playing a leading role in brokering peace in Somalia. He said the training of police recruits by the Kenyan government demonstrated its commitment to ensuring peace was restored in Somalia.
Ambassador Crumpton, who was accompanied by the U.S ambassador to Kenya William Bellamy, assured President Kibaki that his government will continue supporting Kenya and IGAD in the realization of peace in the region.
The IGAD statement came as fighting resumed in Mogadishu pitting Islamic militiamen against a secular grouping of warlords as death toll has risen to over 30.
More than 150 people were killed in eight days of fighting earlier this month.
Leaders of the transitional government believe the United States is financing an alliance of warlords fighting radical Islamic militias in the war-torn country and said the United States should be working directly with his government instead.
Rumors of the U.S. support for the alliance, which includes members of the interim cabinet and armed businessmen, have been rampant in Somalia lately.
Source: Angola Press, May 29, 2006
