- Title: [SW News] (IRIN) Ethiopia
and PL disagree on Somali Reconciliation Approach
- Posted by/on:[AAJ][21 June 2001]
Ethiopia for
"Two-Track" Reconciliation Process
Story Filed: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 1:20 PM EST
Jun 20, 2001 (UN Integrated Regional Information Network/All Africa Global Media via
COMTEX)-- A four-man Ethiopian delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Tekeda Alemu,
visited Garowe, the capital of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland,
northeastern Somalia, on Tuesday.
The visit follows talks between the Ethiopian government and a high-level delegation
from the Transitional National Government (TNG), during which the TNG agreed to Ethiopian
mediation with opposition factions.
The delegation included senior military officials, and met Puntland President Abdullahi
Yusuf, with whom they discussed the recent talks, Isma'il Warsame, Chief of Cabinet of
Puntland President, told IRIN.
The delegation also briefed Puntland leaders on recent talks with the opposition Somali
Restoration and Reconciliation Council (SRRC) members, he said. The delegation sought the
views of the Puntland leadership on the reconciliation process in Somalia, Warsame said. He added that the Ethiopians had agreed
that the TNG should concentrate on the south in the first phase of the process, and
Somaliland in the second phase.
However, the Puntland leaders had disagreed with this "two-track approach",
preferring that there should be "one package for all of Somalia", he said. "We don't agree with Ethiopia and the Mogadishu group [TNG]
to treat northwestern Somalia as a separate entity" when discussing issues of
Somali national reconciliation and unity, Warsame told IRIN.
Copyright UN Integrated Regional Information Network. Distributed by All Africa Global
Media(AllAfrica.com)
[ News] |