Nairobi, July 05: Somali leaders attending a peace conference in Nairobi today agreed to establish a federal government which will rule the horn of Africa country for the next four years. "We have agreed to form a transitional federal government and a transitional parliament of 351 members during the four-year period," Ahmed Awad Ashra, justice minister in northeast Somalia's state of Puntland, said after emerging from the talks.
Ashra is among the senior officials attending the conference, which has brought together more than 300 delegates from the Mogadishu-based transitional national government, armed Somali factions under the umbrella Somali Restoration and Reconciliation Council, armed and political groups known as "G8" and the clan-based civil society.
Conference participants agreed that parliament will appoint the new federal president, who in turn will appoint a prime minister. The prime minister will be assisted by three deputy prime ministers.
Talks on the war-devastated nation have been ongoing since last October, in what is a 16th attempt by the international community to restore peace to Somalia, which has no recognised government and has been ruled by clan warlords since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled in January 1991.
Bureau Report