News conference on peacekeeping force for Somalia
(5 Jan 2007) 1. Wide shot of International Contact Group on Somalia news conference 2. Reporters 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jendayi Frazer, US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa: "Today we are also announcing another 24 million dollars of which 10 million will be in development assistance and 14 million in peacekeeping funds to go toward the stabilisation force, bringing about what we would call a down payment on Somalia's future of 40 million dollars." 4. Wide shot of news conference 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jendayi Frazer, US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa: "Well, we are concerned about the Al Qaida threat worldwide, but the fundamental way to address that threat is to get stability in Somalia. The opportunity that has now been presented to us, to not have Somalia be a safe haven for terrorism by the work of this Contact Group, while putting an emphasis on getting humanitarian assistance, technical assistance, development assistance and a stabilisation force into Somalia, is key." 6. Mid shot of news conference 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Raphael Tuju, Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister: "I don't think it will be easy, but I am optimistic." (Reporter. Will Kenya contribute to that force?) "Kenya may not contribute." 8. Mid shot of International Contact Group on Somalia news conference STORYLINE: The United States will provide 40 million dollars to Somalia in political, humanitarian and peacekeeping assistance, the top U.S. diplomat to Africa said on Friday, while more African nations will be asked to provide troops to help stabilise the country. The European Union said it would also help pay for a peacekeeping force which is envisioned at 8,000 troops, but only if Somalia's government held talks with all segments of Somali society to stop 15 years of chaos in the Horn of Africa country. "The opportunity that has now been presented to us, to not have Somalia be a safe haven for terrorism by the work of this Contact Group, while putting an emphasis on getting humanitarian assistance, technical assistance, development assistance and a stabilisation force into Somalia, is key," Frazer said. Frazer was speaking after talks in the Kenyan capital Nairobi between the International Contact Group on Somalia, which includes the US, EU, African and Arab nations, and the Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf. Yusuf told members of the Contact Group that his country has a rare opportunity for peace, but needs international help to do it. It was also announced at the meeting that Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju will travel around Africa seeking troops for a peacekeeping operation in Somalia. Tuju said it would not be easy to raise 8,000 troops, not because heads of state were unwilling, but because it is logistically and politically difficult to deliver African peacekeepers. He said it was possible his own country would not contribute troops to the force. He declined to say what countries he would be visiting. Uganda has already pledged at least 1,000 peacekeepers. Jendayi Frazer, the top U.S. diplomat to Africa, had said on Thursday the U.S. hoped the Ugandans could be deployed before the end of the January. The international community is scrambling to find a way to help Somalia, which has a chance at unity after 15 years of clan rule and chaos. Ethiopian troops intervened in Somalia on December 24 to defeat an Islamic movement which threatened to overthrow the internationally recognised government, which at the time only controlled one town. Now Ethiopia says it wants to withdraw its troops within weeks. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
