Somalia: IGAD ministers slipup Somalia leaders

(SomaliNet) Some five countries took to task Somali Transitional Federal Government leaders over failure to end turmoil in Somalia.

Inter-Governmental Authority on Development Council of Ministers chairman Seyoum Mesfin who is Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister and Kenyan Moses Wetang’ula led the countries in lambasting the Somalia leadership saying it was to blame for the instability in the country.

Mr Wetang’ula accused some of the leaders of benefiting from the insecurity in the horn of Africa country.

The other countries are Djibouti, Uganda and Sudan.

Mr Wetang’ula and Mr Mesfin regretted that Somali’s President, Prime Minister and National Assembly Speaker often engaged in unnecessary political competition and thus letting down Somalis who had hoped 14 years of war following the ouster of dictator Siad Barre could have ended following the formation of TFG in Nairobi four years ago.

The countries accused Somali leadership of failing to set up institutions of governance that could have seen Somalia return to its feet per the Transitional Federal Charter.

“Little has been accomplished in last four years,” Mr Wetangula said of the charter that expires in September next year and thus rendering all governance institutions in the country null and void.

The TFG was to have developed a new constitution to take over from the charter, set boundaries of federal states, enact Political Parties Bill in readiness for elections in 2009.

The new constitution was supposed to be in place two and half years after the signing of the Somali peace deal.

Calling for collective international effort to end Somalia crisis, Mr Wetangula also called on the UN to takeover AU forces in Somalia as the Africa’s body lacked funds to sustain them.

He said Kenya wanted a peaceful, stable and prosperous Somalia that it can do business with.

“Time is now for all of us to realise we don’t have more time to discuss Somalia crisis in capital cities. We should pick new momentum. Somalis have suffered for too long- 18 years,” Mr Wetangula said.

Igad executive secretary Mahboub Maalim said the security situation in Somalia was deteriorating and called for the strengthening of ongoing peace efforts in Djibouti. Fourteen previous attempts to ensure peace in Somalia, failed.

On Tuesday, Somalia MP Awad Ahmed Ashareh said peace in the country could only return with the removal of the current leadership. He however said, parliamentary term of current MPs should be extended.-Daily Nation