DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti Oct 26 (Garowe Online) -
Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the main opposition group, the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS), finalized a peace agreement Sunday after formally signing a ceasefire deal that called for the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces.
In a ceremony attended by international observers, including UN Special Envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, TFG and ARS delegation leaders signed the comprehensive peace pact in the face of ongoing armed hostilities in many parts of Somalia.
The agreement called on "supporters of the two parties and the Somali population to adhere and support this cessation of armed confrontation for the interest of Somalia."
An official ceasefire will formally go into effect on November 5, 2008, and Ethiopian troops will begin withdrawing from different parts of Somalia, starting on November 21, 2008, the agreement read.
The Ethiopian army pullout will be centered on Mogadishu and Beletwein, with the army relocating from bases such as Mogadishu Stadium, the ex-pasta factory and the former headquarters of the Ministry of Defense.
The second phase of an Ethiopian withdrawal will last for 120 days, the signed document read.
The agreement indicated that a joint TFG-ARS security force will be promptly established to work with African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu to maintain order, following the eventual withdrawal Ethiopian troops.
Somali Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Abdisalam, who led the government delegation at the peace talks, pledged that the government will implement its responsibilities under the ceasefire deal.
ARS Chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who is also executive head of the Islamic Courts movement, welcomed the agreement and urged insurgent fighters to "stop the bullets" since the Ethiopian army will soon begin to withdraw from Somali soil.
The historic peace agreement coincides with ongoing violence in many parts of Somalia, including Mogadishu and Baidoa.
In September, Ethiopian troops withdrew from the central town of Beletwein, which is now under the control of Islamic Courts fighters.
Source: Garowe Online
