UN: Somali Peace Process Obstructors Condemned

Security Council Condemns Those That Obstruct Somali Peace Process

With national reconciliation in Somalia mired in an impasse, the Security Council today condemned elements obstructing the country's peace process and warned that those who persist on the path of confrontation and conflict would be held accountable.

In a statement read out at an open meeting by its President for July, Ambassador Mihnea Ioan Motoc of Romania, the Council also welcomed steps by the African Union (AU) to prepare for the deployment of military monitors to Somalia, and called on the Somali leaders to cooperate with that initiative.

The statement called on the Somali parties to fully implement the ceasefire, to ensure security, and to resolve their differences peacefully.

"The Council recognizes that, while the establishment of a transitional federal government will be an important step towards establishing sustainable peace and stability in Somalia, much effort will lie ahead if this objective is to be achieved," Ambassador Motoc said.

In a series of related provisions, the Council reiterated its firm support for the reconciliation process and the ongoing Somali National Reconstruction Conference in Kenya, launched under the auspices of the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The Somali parties should abide by and implement expeditiously the Eldoret Declaration of 27 October 2002 on the cessation of hostilities, the President said.

The Council reiterated its concern over the continued flow of weapons and ammunition supplies into the country. The statement also again voiced the Council's serious concern regarding the humanitarian situation there, and called on Somali leaders to facilitate the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance and to assure the safety of all international and national aid workers.

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