Peace Talks At a Critical Stage (Opinion)
NAIROBI, 25 APRIL 2003--To a casual observer, the seven-month-old Somali peace and reconciliation conference which opened in Kenya last October is a confusing series characterised by disagreements, boycotts and numerous other obstacles.

There are many who have either lost track of the progress or lost interest in them altogether. The disagreements and the delays have dogged the talks since the Siad Barre government collapsed in 1991.

Despite the setbacks, the conference, at the Kenya College of Communication and Technology, Mbagathi, Nairobi, continue to be the greatest hope for peace and stability in Somalia. MORE