Written question asked by Sian C James (Labour) on Monday, 7 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 November 2005. It was answered by Ian Pearson (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 November 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Somalia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Somalia.

Answer: We continue to work closely with the UN and other members of the international community to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement and a return to good governance in Somalia. We fully support the special representative of the UN Secretary General, Francois Fall, in his efforts to facilitate the peace process and encourage Somali-owned reconciliation initiatives.We remain deeply concerned by recent reports of military activities, violations of the UN arms embargo and hostile rhetoric between the rival factions. We totally condemn the assassination attempt on 6 November against the Transitional Federal Prime Minister, Ali Mohammed Gedi, and extend our condolences to the families of the victims. We believe that any use of force to settle the current differences within the Transitional Federal Institutions is unacceptable and counterproductive.We urge all the Somali factions to refrain from military activities and to take concrete steps to reach consensus through dialogue and quickly create the conditions in which humanitarian access can alleviate the suffering of large numbers of southern Somalis.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 27225; 439 c1270W;439 c1272W
Session: 2005-06
Subjects: International cooperation Politics and government Peace negotiations Somalia
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk