Somalia conference to have fewer delegates

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- The number of delegates to the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference being held in the Kenyan town of Eldoret has been reduced to 362, Kenya's special envoy for Somalia, Elijah Mwangale, said Thursday in Nairobi.
Mwangale, who is also the chairman of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development's Technical Committee, said the number of participants approved for the six committees would be 90.
The second phase of the conference is scheduled to start on 11 November.
The civil society, particularly women, played a crucial role in reaching the decision to reduce the number of delegates, the chairman said.
Mwangale added that arrangements would be made to transport the excess delegates back to Somalia.
"However, those wishing to continue staying in Eldoret, may do so at their own expense," he said.
Phase two of the conference is to be conducted through six committees, each of which will address different sets of core issues of the conflict in Somalia.
The issues are constitution and broad based governance; reconciliation, human rights and ethics; institutional building and resource mobilisation; peace building, disarmament, rehabilitation and construction; regional and international relations; and land, property and minority rights.
"It is expected that phase two of the conference will develop the principles for a charter and mechanisms for post conflict reconstruction.
In addition, it is also envisaged that a framework for disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation will be formulated during this period," Mwangale said.