Post date: Feb 23, 2012 2:42:12 PM
Addressing a London conference on ending two decades of anarchy in Somalia, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said:"The position of the United States is straight forward. Attempts to obstruct progress and maintain the broken status quo will not be tolerated. We will encourage the international community to impose further sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes on people inside and outside the TFG who seek to undermine Somalia's peace and security or to delay or even prevent the political transition."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls on sanctions, including a travel ban, on Somalis in the country's Transitional Federal Government who obstruct the African state's political process.
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 23, 2012) (CNN INTERNATIONAL POOL) - The United States on Thursday (February 23) called for sanctions and travel bans on those who undermine peace and security in Somalia.
Clinton was referring to Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which has a mandate till August. Clinton said the government's mandate would not be extended.
"But time is of the essence and I want to be clear. The international community will not support an extension of the TFG's mandate beyond the date set in the roadmap - August 20th," Clinton told a gathering including heads of state and government from Africa and Arab states.
Much of Somalia is controlled by Islamist rebels, who call themselves al Shabaab.
Clinton called for pressure to be maintained on the rebels.
"Now we must keep the pressure on al Shabaab, so that its grip on Somalia continues to weaken. The UN Security Council vote on Wednesday to increase AMISOM troop ceiling by nearly half and expand its mandate significantly is an excellent step."
The Security Council voted this week to boost by nearly half an African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) in Somalia, seeking to press home a military offensive against al Shabaab.
Clinton urged a two-pronged approach in Somalia.
"We must focus on two dimensions -- accelerating political progress and continuing to improve security," she told the conference.
Washington also outlined steps to tackle piracy off the Somali coast.
"We must continue to fight piracy which is still rampant off Somalia's shores. The U.S. supports programmes that strengthen the Somali judicial system so it can tackle tackle piracy from on shore. We are considering development projects in coastal communities to create alternatives for young men," Clinton said.
The meeting's UK organisers have said the aim of the event is to galvanise policymakers' attention on Somalia to coordinate better a sometimes disjointed international response.
Somalia collapsed into feuding between rival warlords, clans and factions after president Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.
Up to a million people have since been killed, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The weak Western-backed interim government, which holds only a few areas, is fighting a revolt by al Shabaab militants who recently merged with al Qaeda and harbour dozens of Western volunteers seen as a threat to Western security.