BuaNews-NNN
Monday, March 19, 2007
The congress, scheduled to begin on 16 April, is to be held as part of efforts to achieve peaceful reconciliation among the Somali people, Prime Minster Ali Mohammed Ghedi said.
On the day, an opening ceremony of the congress will be convened in Mogadishu.
Preparations for this initiative have been underway since the beginning of March.
Prime Minister Ghedi has insisted that the government will not revert its plans to return to Mogadishu, despite the mortar attack in the capital a few days ago.
The Security Council condemned the attack and urged all Somali parties to foster an inclusive political process, it quoted Francois Lonseny Fall, the UN Special Representative to Somalia as saying.
"We need to mention the need for inclusive dialogue and to seek all district holders or bosses and then, to have a good outcome of the National Reconciliation Congress," he said.
At the dawn of democracy in South Africa, the nation similarly convened a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, with panel members including Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
This was in order to allow those who took part on both sides of the liberation struggle to come to terms with what had happened and for others to receive amnesty for their actions.
Last month, President Thabo Mbeki said government would respond appropriately and "as our capacity permits," to the call of the African Union (AU) for assistance to the people and government of Somalia.
"Critical in this regard, are the initiatives under way to ensure that the protagonists within Somalia interact with one another to find a solution that is inclusive and practicable, based on the need to achieve national reconciliation."
Uganda has committed 1 500 troops to form part of the AU peacekeeping forces.
An estimated 8000 AU troops are to be deployed in Somalia.
Due to its commitments to peacekeeping initiatives in other African countries, South Africa has indicated it will not be able to send a military presence to Somalia.
This decision was taken as the country's military personnel were deployed in other peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ivory Coast, Burundi, the Comoros and Sudan's Darfur region amongst others.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has indicated however, that the country would send logistical and technical support as well as aid.
Source: BuaNews-NNN, Mar 19, 2007