MUSIC

MIC: Hello and welcome to this programme, produced by IRIN… IRIN, the humanitarian news agency of the United Nations.

Kiplagat VOICEOVER
I have a very deep commitment to work with the Somalis to create the right environment for them so that they can resolve their problem and begin to put in place the necessary structures for a government.

MIC: That was Kenya’s new Special Envoy for Somalia Bethwel Kiplagat, speaking in Eldoret, where he is now in charge of the peace process for Somalia. Kiplagat was appointed by the new Kenyan government that won elections last December. He takes over from Elijah Mwangale as chairman of the IGAD technical committee that is organizing the peace talks. The talks started last October 15th, but have run into problems notably over the number and allocation of delegate seats.

Mohamed Jama Sarcad is a delegate to the conference. He told IRIN he welcomes the appointment of the new mediator…

Mohamed Jama Sarcad
The new mediator’s appointment was needed to push the conference forward and allow it to make progress, because of the misunderstanding between the former man Mwangale and the Somalis. The mistakes were from both sides but this new mediator has given hope to the people at the conference.

MIC: Abdi Bashiir Hersi, chairman of youth groups present at the conference, thinks most conference participants are happy at Kiplagat’s appointment…

Abdi Bashiir Hersi
Really, since the new Ambassador come up to the conference, the general mood and the atmosphere at the conference has changed. He declared it is important that the civil society groups attend the conference, for we are the ones who have the most problems, we are the new generation, those who are tomorrow’s leaders, those who have the arms in their hands.

MIC: Outgoing mediator Ambassador Mwangale had recently offered to resign. But he warned that his successor would face the same problems. So what are those problems? IRIN put the question to Prof Mohamed Abdi Gandi, a civil society participant and resource person for the conference…

Gandi
First of all, the number of delegates was never stable, that was the biggest problem. Some of the officially invited people are not here, while uninvited people came. The total number has gone beyond one thousand, so it became uncontrollable. There was mismanagement in the technical committee, but also those frontline states do not have a common understanding in the peace process, that is to say, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The other problem is the Donors who have only given money but have not exerted pressure on the so-called political leaders who have violated their own ceasefire agreement. This has demoralized the people and weakened the process.

MIC: So what is the new mediator doing to tackle these problems? Ambassador Kiplagat told IRIN he has already met with IGAD and donors, and that he hopes to tackle the most pressing problems quickly…

Kiplagat VOICEOVER
We have taken a number of steps to see how we can reduce first the cost and at the same time set in motion a system of consultation to see how we can deal with the problem of numbers. But I believe we ought to be coming out with some solution in the very near future.

MIC: Professor Gandi says Kiplagat seems to have the right profile for the job, but that it will not be easy…

Gandi
It is possible that he might come across the same problems, because the Somalis here are not showing much responsibility, still they are arguing about the delegates level and no one wants to compromise. This man seems to be someone who is consulting with each group to get ideas, and eventually he will come with his guidance.

MIC: Some Somali delegates had accused the previous mediator Mwangale of dictatorship but also of being indecisive. Professor Gandi told IRIN it was unfair to put all the blame on Mwangale…

Gandi
Looking at the Somalis, they have shown a very weak capacity to take responsibility. I remember the first day of the conference, the former mediator Mwangale said to the delegates, if you Somalis elect someone to chair the meeting I will step down. And they said we cannot agree, so take the chair. And he said, unless you bring someone, I will chair the meetings. Because they cannot agree amongst themselves, the Somalis have put everything in the hands of the Technical Committee.

MUSIC TRANSITION

MIC: Last December, the International Crisis Group, ICG, published a report expressing concern about problems in the Eldoret peace process, including management problems. John Prendergast, author of the report, spoke to IRIN about the previous management…

ICG2
They are going to have to make a decision in Eldoret about who gets to participate in this process, a decision that is as participatory and as inclusive as possible, and then stand by it. Because one of the problems that this management structure has had up to now is that they make decisions and then they change their mind. And there’s nothing that you can do that is worse in a negotiations process than demonstrate to the people that you are trying to facilitate negotiations among that you are indecisive.

MIC: IRIN then asked Prendergast of the independent ICG, how he thought the problems should be tackled…

ICG1
More consistent decision making processes and inclusive, transparent structures for decision making about the kinds of issues that are being laid down before the Somalis on a daily basis is imperative. How you do that is a matter for the technical committee and its donor partners to decide.

MIC: So what do Somalis expect of the new mediation? IRIN put the question to Mohamed Mohamud Guled, member of the conference technical committee on federalism, and coordinator of the New Vision group of political organizations…

Mohamed Mohamud Guled
We want the mediation to help restore the Somali nation. Not all the Somali groups here can be satisfied. So the mediation must consult with the high-quality people who want to rebuild the country, not take advice from Somalis who want violence and who don’t want Somalia to get back on its feet.

MIC: Despite problems at the conference, six technical committees have been working since December on core issues of the Somali conference, including federalism, demobilization, land and property rights. The committees are all near to finalizing reports, which should then be submitted to the conference plenary.

Professor Gandi told IRIN that Ambassador Kiplagat and his team must keep the negotiations moving forward…

Gandi
In fact the steps before him are to finalize the second phase, to complete the committee work. He must settle the list of participants to the conference plenary to approve what the committees have proposed. And lastly, move into the third phase, which is the power sharing stage. That is what the new mediator has to do.

JINGLE 1

MIC: Ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat is a former diplomat who served as Kenya’s Ambassador to France and High Commissioner to the UK. In 1983 he returned to Nairobi and served for eight years under President Moi as Permanent Secretary in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Between 1988 and 1992, he was President Moi’s mediator for Mozambique, where he helped settle the dispute between the government and RENAMO rebels.

Kiplagat left the civil service in 1991 to become a senior consultant on peace and conflict resolution. In May 2001 he was appointed head of the Nairobi Stock Exchange. He does not have a strong background in financial affairs, but was seen as a man who knew international affairs and could inspire investor confidence.

His new job did not stop him working on conflict resolution. For example, he has recently been involved as an advisor to Sudanese civil society on conflict resolution.
But does he have any direct experience of Somalia? IRIN put the question to Kiplagat…

Kiplagat VOICEOVER
I have not worked in Somalia before but I have been to Somalia and also when I was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Permanent Secretary, I gave top priority to all our neighbours and at that time Somalia was on top of my agenda because our relations were not very good. And I worked on it with others for a number of years and this culminated in the state visit of President Moi, I believe it was in 1986 or ’87. A very successful visit, the first visit ever by the Head of State of Kenya (to Somalia).

MIC: Kiplagat says that both he and his team are very much committed to bringing peace to Somalia….

Kiplagat VOICEOVER
I am very very much aware of the situation in Somalia. We do have Somalis in Kenya and we are aware of what is going on. They are our very very important neighbours, and I am very happy that Kenya has been given this honour and the responsibility to assist our brothers and sisters in Somalia find a solution of their problem.
So we look forward to a Somalia that is at peace with herself and that can cooperate and work with the rest of the region.

MIC: That was Ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat, Kenya’s Special Envoy for Somalia, ending this programme on his new position as mediator of the Eldoret peace process. Thank you for listening. This programme was brought to you by the radio service of IRIN... IRIN, the humanitarian news agency of the United Nations. The programme was produced with support of the European Commission.