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Somali
factions formally sign pact
in Djibouti
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 NAIROBI(August
20,2008) -
Somalia's government has formally signed a peace deal with some opposition
figures, U.N. officials said on Tuesday, but the pact initialled in
June has been rejected by hardliners and done little to quell violence.
More than 8,000 civilians have been killed and 1 million uprooted
in fighting since early last year pitting President Abdullahi Yusuf's
interim administration and allied Ethiopian forces against Islamist
rebels.
His government and a faction of the opposition initialled a tentative
peace agreement on June 9 at U.N.-led talks in Djibouti, and then
formally signed it late on Monday.
"The parties agreed to continue the political dialogue between
themselves and refrain from making inflammatory statements,"
the United Nations said in a statement.
"(They) strongly condemn the perpetrators as well as those who
mastermind and fund violence which targets innocent people, including
killings, indiscriminate shelling, looting, raping and acts of piracy."
The Djibouti Agreement calls for Ethiopian troops supporting the transitional
government to be replaced with U.N. peacekeepers, who would also take
over the duties of a small, ill-funded African Union force.
But disagreement over the discussions split the Eritrea-based opposition
Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) in two, with hardline
exiles in Asmara joining the insurgents in denouncing the ARS officials
who took part.
Like previous rounds of talks -- including a six-week peace conference
last year in rubble-strewn Mogadishu -- the negotiations have done
little to reduce bloodshed on the ground.
In some of the worst violence for weeks, city residents said nearly
50 people died on Friday when Ethiopian soldiers and government troops
opened fire on civilians in retaliation after two roadside bombs tore
through their convoys.
But the government in Addis Ababa denied that.
"Ethiopia's military conduct follows international rules of engagement
and we do not attack civilians," Wahade Belay, Ethiopia's Foreign
Ministry spokesman, told Reuters.
He said an independent investigation by Somali officials found the
only deaths had been caused by bombs planted by the rebel al Shabaab
militia, which Washington says is a terrorist organisation with close
ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda.
Months of fighting in Somalia have triggered a humanitarian crisis
that aid workers fear may be the worst in Africa.
Near-daily grenade attacks, gun battles and assassinations have driven
many civilians from their homes, particularly in the capital, and
their plight has been compounded by record food prices, hyper-inflation
and drought.
The U.N. statement said both sides in Djibouti were united on the
urgent need to address all aspects of the crisis.
"In this connection, the parties reaffirmed their strong determination
to help ensure unhindered humanitarian access and assistance,"
it added.
The United Nations says the number of Somalis desperately needing
food aid could reach 3.5 million people later this year -- nearly
half the population.
But U.N officials say international donors had so far funded only
about a third of a $637 million aid appeal.
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