Written question asked by Mark Simmonds (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 February 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 February 2006. It was answered by Ian Pearson (Labour) on Wednesday, 15 February 2006 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 activities of (a) al-Qaeda and (b) Islamic fundamentalists in Somalia.

Answer: The absence of effective Government in Somalia creates a vacuum in which terrorists, such as, al-Qaeda, operate, threatening the region and the wider international community. Islamic fundamentalists are seeking to create an Islamic State in Somalia. We have been closely engaged in the Somali national reconciliation conference and the subsequent political process. 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, through the establishment of Transitional Federal Institutions and a return to democracy.

Secondary information