East Africa's bloc vows to stabilize Somalia

An east African bloc on Saturday held a regional conference in Somalia and pledged to mobilize resources to enhance political stability in the Horn of Africa nation.

Foreign ministers from the regional bloc, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), pledged to boost reconciliation efforts by uniting the warring factions in Somalia.

Terros Adhanom of Ethiopia, chairman of IGAD Council of Ministers, called for continued mutual sustainable peace and development in the country.

"The main agenda of this extraordinary session focused on three key areas notably vision 2016, security, and stabilization," said Adhanom.

Vision 2016, which sets the ground for universal elections in 2016, was agreed upon under the Somali New Compact Deal signed in Brussels in 2013.

Speaking at the IGAD's 53rd extraordinary session, Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the regional bloc had played a critical role in helping the Horn of Africa nation realize peace and stability for more than two decades of civil war.

The IGAD meeting is the first of its kind held in Somalia since the country fell into civil war over two decades ago following the collapse of government in 1991.

The meeting comes at a time when the African Union Mission to Somalia and the Somali National Army have made significant gains in driving the militant group Al-Shabaab out of major towns of the country.

The joint force captured Al-Shabaab's last stronghold Barawe in November last year.

In attendance were ministers from the IGAD countries, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Soudan, Djibouti, Uganda, and Somalia.

Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Wei Hongtian, UN ambassadors and representatives of the European Union and special representative for African Union Commission also attended the meeting. Endi