Somali rival groups urged to attend peace talks

A group of western and African diplomats trying to restore normalcy in Somalia on Thursday urged rival groups to attend the peace talks aimed at defusing tensions in the Horn of Africa nation.

Another round of peace talks hosted by the Arab League is scheduled on October 30 between Somalia's transitional government and Islamists who control much of the country's center and south. Diplomats from the International Contact Group on Somalia met with officials from both sides in Nairobi Thursday in an effort to ensure the talks go forward as planned.

The 11-member U.S.-backed International Contact Group on Somalia expressed concern of the breaches in the agreement reached by the rival sides in Khartoum in July.

"The group expressed concern of the threats of militarization in Somalia and in particular violations of previous agreement reached in Khartoum that would undermine the dialogue," the diplomats said in a statement issued at the end of the meeting late Thursday in Nairobi.

The transitional government and the Islamists signed a non- aggression and mutual-recognition pact in June. The government has accused the Islamists of violating the pact by seizing new territory.

Thursday's meeting which was attended by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer urged the Islamists to stop their territorial expansion and to attend the Arab League-mediated peace talks.

The Arab League initiative was part of the international efforts to restore peace and stability to Somalia and end competition between different factions to fill the power vacuum.

Source: Xinhua