Brussels, 22/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - The financial support of the EU to the African Union force in Somalia (AMISOM) will depend on progress made on political dialogue, according to the conclusions of the Council adopted on Monday. The 27 take the view that all parties involved in the problems currently faced by the country should draw from the current impetus to reach a viable political agreement. This is the "only possibility of stabilising Somalia" and this is why I establish "a very clear link between the funding of the stabilisation force and the opening of dialogue", Louis Michel told a small group of journalists.
"The situation is far from becoming stabilised" and the deployment of this kind of force will not resolve the Somali crisis alone, the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid (who is making European funding for this force conditional upon the opening of genuine political dialogue), commented on Monday. In the view of Louis Michel, "the Federal government has not shown any genuine goodwill or concrete commitment in favour of reconciliation and the opening-up of power", as illustrated by the dismissal of the president of the interim Somali Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden (EUROPE 9346), the declaration of martial law, or the pressure which is brought to bear on the free media. Recognising that a stabilisation force would allow the Ethiopian troops to withdraw in the very near future, he pleaded "before we give our agreement on the funding, it must be made conditional upon a strong gesture on the part of the interim government, moving towards reconciliation and inclusive dialogue". He then made a slight digression to discuss the possibility of the EU's continuing with the partial funding of the per diem allowance paid to the elected members of the interim Somali Parliament (at a level of 60 dollars per session), even though the very functioning of this institution has not been assured. "I believe that it would be fairly easy for President (Abdullahi) Yusuf to call a very large meeting" which could be attended by all of the representative elements, including moderate Islamists.
"All parties should draw from the current dynamic to reach a viable political agreement", said the foreign affairs ministers of the EU, who remain concerned by the current state of play with the reconciliation process. They are urging “the political institutions and civil society to resume their normal functions as soon as possible" and ask the interim federal institutions to "resolve their internal differences and to hold out their hand to all willing Somalis in the spirit of national reconciliation". The EU, which is the largest donor of funds to Somalia, is prepared to take part in the funding of the AMISOM mission to a level of €15 million, "once the necessary conditions have been met, particularly United Nations authorisation", but already calls upon the AU to "think about other possible sources of aid in order to ensure sustainable funding of the stabilisation force". (ab)