Italy’s new peacemaking efforts : Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Bilateral Meeting with Somalia's Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed‏

The meeting’s main objectives are to underscore the importance of
Italy’s commitment to fostering a resolution to the crisis in Somalia,
examine the prospects of the Federal Transitional Institutions, and to
stress the need for the Mogadishu government’s concrete commitment to
re-establishing peace in the country. Minister Frattini, who considers
the Somalia dossier one of Italy’s top foreign policy priorities, will
also be present at Berlusconi’s encounter with Mohamed Abdullahi
Mohamed “Farmajo”.
 
The meeting, convened on the request of Somalia, is taking place seven
months prior to the end of the Mogadishu Federal Institutions’
transition period. Premier “Farmajo” has set up a more manageable
government than those of the past (17 ministers), and will probably
ask Italy and the international community for support in involving the
most cooperative part of the Somali Diaspora in bringing peace back to
the country.
 
Italy, as the ministry’s Director General for the Countries of
Sub-Saharan Africa, Rosa Anna Coniglio, explained, “will have to
evaluate” relations with Somalia, and the Somali premier must “clarify
what his plans are” for the final seven months of his mandate, which
should close the transitional phase and lead to stable institutions
and a legitimate government, as envisaged in the 2008 Djibouti Accord.
The present Somali government will have to complete “concrete steps”
in the implementation of what are known as the “transitional tasks”,
i.e. a national reconciliation strategy, development of governance
capacity and re-instatement of essential services for the people. And
Italy “will do everything necessary to help, with the understanding,
however, that “ownership of the process must be Somalia’s”.
 
The Somali premier’s mission to Rome follows one to New York, where he
held meetings behind closed doors with the Security Council, and is
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s first visit to Italy since taking up his
post, confirming that Italy is considered a key partner in the Horn of
Africa and an indispensible interlocutor in the process of stimulating
and steering the international community’s support for Somalia’s
stablisation.
 
Italy plays an advocacy role within the EU framework on behalf of the
organisation’s greater role in this process. Minister Frattini has
involved the EU in a profound reflection on Somalia and sent papers to
its Special Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton
containing concrete proposals that have been examined in the External
Affairs Council.
 
On the financial front, €27 million euro has been earmarked for two
years, to be divided among: the Italia-Africa peace facility (a fund
managed through the African Union and that presents Italy with
projects to fund); support for AMISOM (the AU’s military mission in
Somalia); support for Somali governance (ministries of foreign
affairs, interior, communications, and Radio Magadishu); the Italian
Cooperation’s water, healthcare, education and anti-drought
programmes.
 
On the theme of piracy, it is Italy’s belief that, in addition to the
forces at sea (currently engaged in two naval missions in the Horn of
Africa, for the NATO and the UN), it is necessary to develop the
coastal regions that pirates are sailing from. Italy has also proposed
the establishment of a special ad hoc tribunal for pirates, as well as
for the terrorists that control half of Somalia MAE/EN