Accra, Ghana - A three-day conference seeking peace in war-ravaged Somalia ended in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, Wednesday with a call on the Somalia Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) to engage in more outreach targeted at specific groups. In addition, it should take steps and measures necessary for the election of the President of the country and a Speaker of Parliament, in accordance with the provisions of the TFP. The mandate of the TFP for Somalia expires in August 2011 hence the need to ensure that a substantive government is put in place and peace is restored before the above mentioned date.

The conference was convened by the African Union Mission in Somalia on the theme: “African Union Support to the Implementation of the Djibouti Peace Process for Somalia,”

Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings, AU's High Representative for Somalia, told the closing session that there was the need for the AU to support the Somalia TFP to ensure that peace was restored.

Somalia has been at war for over 20 years and is seen as a failed state.

Rawlings said: “I will do my best to mobilise resources from other African countries and the AU as a whole to ensure that the communiqué issued in Ghana is implemented.”

He noted that the Somalia peace process had seen a lot of paper work and now is the time for action.

Dr Augustine Mahiga, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Somalia, also emphasised the role of Parliament in ending the crisis in Somalia.

He explained that Parliament represented the people and those suffering in Somalia are the people who need peace and security.

Pana 03/03/2011