Sudan to renew efforts to bring peace in Somalia – president
August 18, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan will reactivate its efforts to mediate between the different Somali warring parties to bring peace in the Horn of Africa country, the Somali President said on Wednesday.
“We need to Sudan’s important role to resolve the Somali crisis and the coming days will witness new developments and a Sudanese move to reunite the Somali parties and support the central government and the peaceful transfer of power,” said President Sheikh Sharif before to leave Khartoum today.
He also thanked the Sudanese government for its supportive stance and asserted his Government’s determination to end the Somali crisis through peaceful means and restoring the authority of the State.
Since last year Sudan has undertaken efforts to convince the Islamist Somali opposition to join the UN backed government of President Sheikh who was elected on January 31, 2009 in a bid to end the 19 civil war in the country.
Last year Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, leader of the Asmara-based Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, was in Khartoum to discuss reconciliation with Mogadishu government. However he returned to the Eritrean capital without meeting with Somali officials who were there to meet him.
The Somali insurgents say they would speak with government officials only after the withdrawal of the foreign troops from the country and some other conditions.
Khartoum tries to use its influence among the warring Somali Islamists groups to support ongoing efforts to bring stability in Somalia. But Darfur crisis and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed with the former rebel SPLM forced it to turn its attention back to its internal affairs.
Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991 when the regime of Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled, following which the country was plunged into anarchy and factional violence. Conflict and famine have killed hundreds of thousands of people.
(ST)