Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Tuesday March 1, 2011.
Former President JJ Rawlings has asked corporate institutions and investors not to
wait until peace is achieved war torn Somalia before rushing there with investments.
“Somalia is in need of internal structures if the peace-building process is to succeed. We have a responsibility politically, morally and ethically to contribute towards the peace objective of Somalia.”Mr. Rawlings who has been appointed as the African Union (AU) High Representative to Somalia said in Accra yesterday.
President Rawlings was speaking at a three-day conference on the role of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in support of the implementation of the Djibouti Peace Process for Somalia.
The conference which is being attended by AU and international diplomats and other top officials from Somalia was opened by President John Evan Atta Mills.
Former President Rawlings said it was “imperative that international organizations such as the AU, United Nations, European Union, League of Arab States and others join hands in a concerted effort to help us bring lasting peace to Somalia.”
He said part of the problem in Somalia is the leadership vacuum created by the inability of some the elected politicians and members of parliament to stay within influential distance of those who elected them adding “we cannot succeed if we do not join forces in tackling Somalia peace process. Working independent of each other is not the answer.”
He said the reality on the ground is the “seeming uncontrollable situation” but the situation “is not impervious to reason, dialogue and influence.”
President Rawlings said Somalia currently faces the threat of famine cause by prolonged drought and alerted the international community to move fast to save the situation with relief aid.
“Let us fashion out some more innovative approaches that would enable us complement ongoing efforts in Somalia and the sooner we move into Somalia the sooner will we be able to speed up the cry of our Somali brothers and sisters.”
He paid glowing tribute to Uganda and Somalia for sacrificing to commit troops to Mogadishu, the Somali Capital and called on all countries that pledged to commit troops to honour the pledge.
Opening the conference, President Mills made a passionate appeal to the AU and the international community to step up their effort to bring lasting peace to Somalia because the people of the war torn country “have suffered for far too long.”
“The situation in Somalia is totally unacceptable but past failures should not dampen our resolve to help the people of Somalia.”
He said although there have been 13 different peace agreements since the broke in Somalia 1991, nothing meaningful had come to Somalia and said the time has come for the AU and all stakeholders to “exercise more forceful mandate” to bring lasting peace.
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) of Somalia who was sober in his speech appealed passionately to the international community to save Somalia from destruction saying “we have had too many problems. We cannot even count them.”
He expressed his appreciation to the AU and commended Uganda and Burundi for always being there for Somalia.
He also said President Mills’ presence at the conference showed the importance attached to the cause of Somalia by the government of Ghana.
Ambassador Boubacar Diarra, AU Special Representative to Somalia said there can be lasting peace in Somalia if the AU and the international community are able re-examine their approach.
Mohammed Mumuni, Minister for Foreign Affairs said there was the need to plan ahead as the TFG’s mandate expires on August 20, 2011.
Somalia has been without a central government and has never known peace since civil war broke out in 1991, leading to the death its President Siad Bare. The country is run by clan heads and rebel groups and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) controls only a portion of once prosperous Mogadishu, capital of Somalia.
No comments:
Post a Comment