Somalia: Government Says It Can Do Without EU Conditional Aid (Page 1 of 1)

allAfrica.com: Somalia: Government Says It Can Do Without EU Conditional Aid (Page 1 of 1) Somalia: Government Says It Can Do Without EU Conditional Aid Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) January 23, 2007 Posted to the web January 23, 2007 Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu The Somali government has declared on Tuesday that it could not accept conditions that the European Union said it would help finance the Somali transitional government on the condition that it should reach out to the defeated Union of Islamists and other parties for peace and a unity government. Government spokesperson Abdirahman Dinari has told journalists in Mogadishu on Tuesday that his government was very disappointed with the conditional outcome of the EU meeting in Brussels for Somalia. "The federal government expected that EU would take positive roles in aiding the Somali government without stipulations," he said. EU aid Commissioner Louis Michel warned that a civil war might return to Somalia. He said attacks carried out at the presidential palace in Mogadishu characterize the risk of returning to a civil war. The EU financial aid for the African peacekeepers to Somalia has been stipulated that the Somali government should consider reinstating the ousted parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden and reconciling with Islamists and all tribal factions in the country. A broad-based government "is the only way to politically stabilize Somalia, therefore I have established a clear link between financing the stabilization force and the opening to dialogue and reconciliation process," he said. EU saved 15 million Euros ($19 million) for the AU peacekeeping forces, replacing the leaving Ethiopian troops in Somalia. Relevant Links East Africa Somalia Civil War and Communal Conflict Europe and Africa Dinari said Somalia's sovereignty should not be breached. "We are telling the European Union that the Somali government could do without the conditional aid, and the EU's stance towards helping the country is a violation to the sovereignty of Somalia," he said. He said the Somali government endorses reconciliation, "but we can not accept to be told whom we have to reconcile with", he said. The news comes as Ethiopian troops begin leaving Somalia today. A farewell ceremony was held for the Ethiopians leaving at the Mogadishu military airbase.