by Paul Schemm
Thursday, April 05, 2007

Renewed international focus on Somalia and pervasive exhaustion with the incessant fighting in the war-torn country make for a rare opportunity for peace to succeed there, US Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, seen here 2006, has said.(AFP/File/Jacques Collet)

"I think the international community is focused on Somalia in a way that it hasn't been in the last 16 years, so I think the conditions are better this time around," Jendayi Frazer, the US assistant secretary of state for African affairs, told AFP.

Since the 1991 overthrow of dictator Siad Barre, Somalia has been plunged into a violent civil war pitting rival clans and warlords against each other and featuring periodic famines and an unsuccessful US intervention in 1993.

"One thing that gives me hope is that at some point people get exhausted of killing each other," she added.

She explained that in addition to heightened international attention, regional players now all agreed that extremists in Somalia needed to be isolated and efforts stepped up to achieve peace.

"There is hope for Somalia, Somalia is in Africa, the trendlines in Africa are positive to solve these crises and these conflicts," she said. "All of these countries in the Horn, east Africa, the Gulf have a common view.

"So I think they have a real opportunity."

Frazer said the consensus came when countries realised that the failed state was being used as a base by extremist Islamists from outside Somalia.

"It's clear that there were global jihadists operating in Mogadishu, I think that everybody had a wake up call," she said. "None of us understood the extent to which they had found safe haven and a base for operating in Somalia.

"We are all pretty much on the same page with Somalia," she added.

The scenario for restoring stability to the country involves first a ceasefire, followed by a reconciliation conference to be held April 16, paving the way for elections in 2009 when the transitional government's mandate ends.

An African Union (AU) peacekeeping force will be brought in to oversee the truce, though only about half of the anticipated 8,000-strong force has been pledged yet.

Sporadic gunfire was reported overnight, but Mogadishu was largely calm on Thursday, several days after heavy fighting between Ethiopian forces and Islamists left nearly 400 people dead.

Elders from Mogadishu's dominant Hawiye clan said they would collect bodies left in the streets, and were to meet with Ethiopian commanders on Thursday for further talks.

In December, the transitional government invited Ethiopian troops in after it was threatened by the Islamic Courts Union, an intervention Frazer described as unfortunate but necessary.

Ethiopian forces look set to remain until a robust African Union force is put in place -- something that cannot happen until a truce is reached.

Frazer expressed confidence in the AU's ability to handle the crisis with material and logistical support from the international community, despite their poor showing in Sudan's Darfur crisis.

"In Sudan, you have a government that has crippled the African Union force," she said, noting that they have prevented supplies and material from reaching the embattled force.

"They have created an environment in which it is difficult for them to succeed."

Source: AFP, April 05, 2007

Wadanigirl @ 4/10/2007 10:21 AM EST  walaalayaal arrintu ma ahan qabiil ee waa arrin qaran. madaxweynenimadu ma ahan in dadkaaga la laayo. dad baa ku dooday in muqdisho 17yrs loo xayiraanaa waa su'aale waa ayo dadka u xayirnaa? waa se degaankee degaanka ay ka jirto maamul somali oo dhan u dhan tahay? dad baa la soo boodi PUNTLAND waa iga su'aale 17yrs bosaaso seaport maxaa ka socday miyaan dad masakiin aha lagu xasuuqin inta doonyo lagu guray WAA KUMA CIDA KA HADASHAY AMA JOOJISAY ILAA IYO hadda marka walaalayaan yaan leys xagxagan si cadaalad ah fikirka haloo cabiro HADDII AY JIRTO CID DAN KA LEH SOMALIA AMA MUQDISHO OO NABAD NOQOTA MAXAA LOO TAAGEERI WAAYEY LIXDII BILOOD AY MUQDISHA NABAD AHEYDA? MAXAASE LOO DOONAYAA IN AYSAN SOMALIA KA DHALAN DOWDLAD ISLAAMI AHA hadddii somalia ama somalidu ku caano maaleyso fikradaha iyo falsafada qalaad horey ayaan u soo aragnay ciyaartii horena wey dhamaantay iyo afduubkii shacab la afduubi jiray iminka shacabka somaaliyeed intooda badan waxay ku qanacsan yihiin in somalia ka DHALATO DOWLADA ISLAMI AH u maleyn maayo in lagu horumarayo shareecada islaamka la'aanteed. diinta weligey ayey somalida heystay yaan lagu doodi diinta ma hadey timid WAXA HDDA YIMID WAA FAHANKA IYO KU DHAQANKA DIINTA ISLAAMKA SIDAA HALOO GARTO wabilaahi towfiiq wadanigirl

keyser @ 4/7/2007 7:13 AM EST  Ms. Frazer, Please TFG does not stand for Somalia; it stands for one clan. If you are aware of that, can you go back square one?

somaliunit7 @ 4/6/2007 11:20 AM EST   She is Acting president of Somalia, I call on Somalis here to promote unity amongst our nation to Free our country of the Tigrey crusaders and thier stooge TFG (TOTALY FAKE  GANG). A country is a high price to pay for tribalism.

AbdiWahab @ 4/6/2007 8:57 AM EST  If this is the best chance of peace, then lets hope for war. The more the world interferes in Somalia, the worse it gets. Leave Somali politics to the Somalis

iila.tali @ 4/6/2007 7:47 AM EST   hassancosoble, I am glad HOL deny your acces, I read many of your comments and doesn't make any snese to me. you can't be cosoble and be happy of shacbiga reer osoblayaal ee lagu leeyanayo wardhigley. Therefore, you are either another Diinaari Geedi maangaab or want be cosoble. good job Hiiran.