2007 Somali National Reconciliation Conference

The 2007 Somali
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

National Reconciliation Conference was held from 15 July 2007 until 30 August 2007^{http://allafrica.com/stories/200708290891.html} in Mogadishu

Mogadishu

Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....

; it was announced on 1 March 2007 by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is a veteran Somali politician. He is one of the founders of the Somali Salvation Democratic Front, as well as the Puntland State of Somalia, where he served as the autonomous region's first President...

, the President of the Transitional Federal Government

Transitional Federal Government

The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...

(TFG).^{http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/8052 http://allafrica.com/stories/200703030187.html}

Preparations

More than 3,000 people from all of Somalia's regions

Regions of Somalia

Somalia is officially divided into eighteen administrative regions , which in turn are subdivided into districts. On a de facto basis, northern Somalia is now divided up among the autonomous states of Puntland and Somaliland...

and clans as well as from the Somali diaspora

Somali diaspora

The Somali diaspora refers to expatriate Somalis who reside in areas of the world that have traditionally not been inhabited by their ethnic group...

participated.^{http://english.people.com.cn/200703/19/eng20070319_359027.html} The United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

had announced their support for the conference.^{http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/22/content_5878995.htm} Moderate islamists in exile in Eritrea

Eritrea

Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...

had also been invited,^{http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6214470.html} but had refused to attend.

It was originally planned to be held from 16 April until mid-June, but was postponed thrice, first to 15 May 2007,^{http://english.people.com.cn/200704/12/eng20070412_365714.html} then to 14 June 2007^{http://english.people.com.cn/200704/19/eng20070419_367801.html} and finally to 15 July 2007.^{http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6747999.stm}

Events

When the conference finally opened on 15 July 2007, it immediately adjourned until 19 July 2007 to allow for more delegates to arrive, since the moderate Islamists had not yet ended their boycott of the conference.^{http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6899684.stm} The conference building was being attacked with mortars on that date, as well, and again on 17 July 2007.^{http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6217948.html}

The conference eventually opened for real on 19 July 2007; however, moderate islamists and Hawiye

Hawiye

The Hawiye is a Somali clan. Members of the clan primarily live in central and southern Somalia, in the Ogaden and the North Eastern Province , and in smaller numbers in other countries. Like many Somalis, Hawiye members trace their ancestry to Irir Samaale...

clan elders still boycotted it, claiming that the venue were not neutral. Islamists have scheduled a conference in Asmara

Asmara

Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...

instead.

There was an 11 point program to be discussed at the conference, including the holding of elections.^{http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6905958.stm} According to commentators, little was achieved at the conference.^{http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74031}

Preparations

Events

Further reading