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Yemeni foreign minister on Somalia Initiative

SomaliNet Forum (Archive): General Discusions: Archive (Before Jan. 23, 2001): Yemeni foreign minister on Somalia Initiative
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Mohamed

Monday, January 08, 2001 - 02:48 am
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 7, 2001


Text of interview with Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abd-al-Qadir Ba-Jammal by Husayn al-Jarbani, in San'a; date not given; published by London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat on 5 January

About Somalia Initiative


[Al-Jarbani] Is it true that there is a Yemeni initiative to complete Somali reconciliation?

[Ba-Jammal] Yes, there is an initiative which we are going to present to the conference of the IGAD [Inter-Governmental Authority on Development] foreign ministers on 9 January. We will attend the conference to put forward this initiative, which includes a pledge by the reconciling parties, including the provisional government, which emanated from the Arta conference in Djibouti, as well as the parties that did not take part in or attend this conference of the faction leaders. Those leaders represent all the existing tribes, which are represented at the Somali parliament. Besides, this initiative was presented to Somali factions and was accepted by them after a long debate and without reservations by President Abdiqasim Salad and his provisional government. This initiative is based on several conditions and principles. These primarily include:

- The provisional government shall accept expanding its current size in terms of the number of deputies to the prime minister, the ministers, the deputy ministers and the ministers of state. This expansion should be within the powers granted to the president. As for the aspects in which President Abdiqasim Salad has no powers, the parliament shall be asked to give him such powers to ensure national reconciliation and end the Somali problem. The Somali president has promised to implement this within the framework of this initiative.

- Guarantees shall be given to faction leaders as to the posts they will assume in the government expansion. They shall assume these posts without a change for 36 months and until general elections are held and a new democratic legitimacy begins in Somalia through the election of a new parliament within the context of pluralism. Also, the central system of the Somali state shall absorb the members and personnel of the militias without exception, whereby all militiamen shall become members of security agencies or the armed forces. As for unqualified personnel, they shall be qualified to allow their employment with the security and military establishments. In addition, all the staff of civil institutions, such as public services, the media, airports and harbours, shall become staff of the central state, provided that they shall not be prejudiced based on their previous affiliations and work. These conditions state that a general amnesty shall be issued by the parliament in order not to pursue or question anyone about previous actions in the past period. Also, media campaigns and campaigns that allude to political or tribal divisions shall stop completely and all voices that sow sedition or call for infighting shall stop.

[Al-Jarbani] Will this initiative be implemented once the IGAD countries approve it?

[Ba-Jammal] This matter is not easy at all. But all trends are going in this direction. We have agreed with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the political statement issued by the Coordination Council, to support this trend and pursue this mission to complete Somali reconciliation. We are also in agreement with the brothers in Egypt and our brothers in the Arabian Gulf in this regard that it is time to stop this bloodletting. A strong and central Somali state must be announced to preserve the unity of Somalia.

Source: Al-Sharq al-Awsat, London, in Arabic 5 Jan 01 p 3

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