Igad gives Somalia nine months to act

Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed poses for a photograph at his hotel room in Nairobi on Monday. Photo/REUTERS

Somali leaders were on Wednesday given tough conditions to fulfil in the next nine months or face severe action.

President Abdullahi Yusuf, Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, National Assembly Speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe and MPs are to appoint a new Cabinet in 15 days.

In addition, they are to establish a joint security body with the Islamic Courts Union before November 25 and establish Banadir administration which includes Mogadishu in two weeks.

Progress reports

In a communiqué, six heads of State and Government of Igad also directed the leaders to draft a new constitution, enact electoral and parties law in six months and submit progress reports every two months to Igad Council of Ministers.

It is the progress that would determine whether the term of Transitional Federal Government would be extended, Presidents Kibaki, Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti) and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said.

President Yusuf also signed the communiqué following the 13th Igad Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

If the measures are not taken, the Igad leaders warned, it will “review its options, as it will not be business as usual.”

In a bid to rescue war-torn Somalia from total collapse, the leaders will be meeting every six months “to review the progress made in the implementation of these decisions.”

US deputy Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer, who played a key role in helping Kenya end the post-election violence, UN, AU and European Union officials also attended yesterday’s summit at Kenyatta International Conference Centre.

Islamic Courts Union official Sheikh Sharrif was also present.

Islamic courts

Speakers severely reprimanded Somali leaders for “the complete failure to establish institutions of governance only nine months before the end of the transitional period.”

According to a charter signed at the time, the new government was, among other things, supposed to draft a new constitution, draw internal political boundaries, establish political parties law and create key institutions like the police force.

President Kibaki warned that the Somali leadership was running out of time. This warning was echoed by Mr Zenawi.

Igad leaders also endorsed a UN resolution to use force to combat pirates at the Somali coastline, the peace deal signed between President Yusuf’s administration and ICU wing and formation of a unity government and an inclusive Parliament.

As the meetings took place at KICC, a string of deadly car bombs went off in northern Somalia. Reports indicate at least 21 people died and many more were injured.