In Support of the Djibouti Peace Agreement

To: The Members of the UN Security Council

To: The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General

To: The Observers of the Somali Accord-The Governments of the United

        States, France, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom,

        The European Union, the League of Arab States, AU, and OIC  

Cc: The Leadership of the Transitional Federal Government

Cc: The Leadership of the Alliance of the Re-liberation of Somalia

Cc: The Republic of Djibouti

Cc: The Somali People Everywhere 

June 18, 2008 

In Support of the Djibouti Peace Agreement

It is with great pleasure that we the undersigned, Somali citizens, academics and intellectuals in Somalia and the Diaspora, express our unequivocal support for the peace agreement reached in Djibouti by the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).  If implemented, the peace agreement will spearhead a needed cease-fire between the two groups and allow the provision of humanitarian assistance to the needy and the displaced, as well as provide the necessary clearance for the deployment of UN stabilization forces to replace Ethiopian forces currently in Somalia.  By signing this historic agreement, both groups have shown a solemn commitment to peace and a sincere desire to compromise for the sake of their bleeding nation. With this signature both parties have agreed to end the mindless 18-year civil conflict and to catapult Somalia into reclaiming its status as a peace-loving member of the global community of nations.  We call upon all Somali individuals, organizations—social, religious, cultural and political- to support this important milestone for the Somali people.

We commend Ambassador Ahmadou Ould Abdalla, his staff at UNPOS and members of the Security Council and the international community for their relentless efforts to broker this historic peace agreement. The extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council in Djibouti with the parties to the conflict and with members of the Somali civil society heightened the commitment of the international community to resolve the Somali conflict and the likelihood for a successful peace process. Ambassador Abdalla has noticeably displayed a great deal of cultural sensitivity, personal and professional integrity by carefully maintaining a neutral composure throughout the process, while effectively engaging not only the parties to the conflict and civil society, but with other stakeholders and concerned Somali citizens in Somalia and in the Diaspora. We believe that Ambassador Abdalla’s unwavering desire to bring peace to Somalia and his relentless efforts at conflict mediation and resolution have no doubt tipped the balance in favor of an agreement. 

We are grateful for the gracious hospitality of the people of Djibouti and their President Ismail Omar Guelleh who has shown on numerous occasions an impeccable desire and energy to stand by his brethren in their hour of need and by using his good offices and national coffers to constantly promote peaceful reconciliation of the Somali conflict. The Somali people and nation, no doubt, owe a debt of gratitude to President Guelleh and the peace loving people of the Republic of Djibouti.

Now that the TFG and ARS leaders have taken bold leadership in producing the first set of documents signed in Djibouti, it is an opportune time for the UN Security Council and the international community to step up their efforts and take advantage of the gathering momentum for peace.  We believe that the peace agreement signed in Djibouti will pave the way for what will be a continuing negotiation process that we hope will include a meaningful power sharing between the two groups and members of the civil society.

The peace accord signed in Djibouti by the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS), particularly the clauses pertaining to the withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces from Somalia, hinges on the deployment of robust international stabilization force. Therefore, it is critically important that Amabssador Ould Abdalla take this remarkable agreement immediately to the next level by pushing it forward through the UN. Security Council and member states; thus securing the necessary financial, moral and material support to expedite the deployment process within the four month period agreed by the parties.  We can not reemphasize enough the symbolic and the significant role that the UN plays at this critical juncture of the Somali conflict and the need for swift action to implement the agreement.

We welcome the support of the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, and other states for the peace agreement and urge them to work for the expeditious deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation to facilitate the early exit of the Ethiopian forces. We encourage all nations and regional organizations, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, to follow suit. We want to reiterate that the peace agreement reached in Djibouti is a small step in the quest for a durable peace in Somalia. We implore all Somali opposition groups as well as supporters of the transitional government and Somalis in the Diaspora to empathize with the suffering people of Somalia by supporting the peace agreement.

We encourage all parties to the peace agreement to refrain from any rhetoric or action that may dampen the spirit or altogether discredit the essence of the peace agreement. 

The struggle for a lasting peace continues.

Signatories:

Organizations:

1.     Nabadraadis-Peace Movement [email protected]

2.     Pan-Somali Council for Peace and Democracy-ISRAACA

      www.israaca.org

3.     Somali Concern Group, UK

 For further information, please contact Mr. Abukar D. Osman at

614-778-3130 or by E-mail at:  [email protected]