Government of Kenya (Nairobi)
PRESS RELEASE

On behalf of the IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee, I wish to announce that the formal launch of the Transitional Federal Charter for Somalia will be presided over by the IGAD Council of Ministers in Nairobi on 13th March, 2004.

The launching ceremony will be held in the distinguished presence of H.E Mr. Alpha Omar Konare, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union and H.E Amr Mousa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States. Also present will be Somali Political Leaders, Somali Traditional leaders, Delegates and members of the IGAD Partners Forum (IPF). The Transitional Federal Charter provides the legal framework for five (5) years transitional period.

I request all the Somali Political Leaders who have returned to Somalia to come back and participate in the third and final phase of the conference in order to realize sustainable peace and all-inclusive government for Somalia.

In order to deepen the reconciliation process, I urge all Somali Political and Traditional Leaders to undertake reconciliatory meetings between all clans and political leaders in order to build trust and facilitate the final process of power sharing. In the meantime, I welcome the ongoing direct contacts among the different Somali political groups.

I appreciate the assurance of my brother and colleague, H.E Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, to the effect that Ethiopia remains fully committed to the IGAD led Somali National Reconciliation Conference aimed at finding a sustainable solution to the Somali problem.

I thanks all Somali Political Leaders for their positive cooperation, perseverance, patience and willingness to make sacrifices to achieve the desired consensus in finding peace for the people of Somalia.