A PECULIAR diplomatic row over travel documents between the Kenya government and the self-declared Puntland state, one of stateless Somalia's autonomous units, has aroused concern over the future of the Somali peace talks, whose third phase is set to take off early this month. 

Also being questioned is Kenya's commitment to the talks, with information emerging that Nairobi could be looking for ways of getting out of the talks after 18 months without promising results and accumulating unpaid bills. 

On April 12, Kenya's Department of Immigration, slapped a ban on the use of Somali passports for entry into Kenya, prompting the Puntland state to issue a statement that it would also not accept Kenya's travel documents. 

Puntland then proceeded to order Kenyan nationals out of the region. 

It is therefore feared that the development could not only affect the delegates arriving for the peace talks, but also cripple the operations of a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the region, but headquartered in Nairobi. Some of the NGOs whose operations centre on Somalia are said to be thinking of relocating to Djibouti.

It is emerging that the decision arose out of security concerns after Kenyan security agents uncovered a Somali passports forging syndicate, complete with Kenyan visas, in Nairobi's sprawling Eastleigh suburb.

The discovery alarmed Kenyan authorities who suspect that people connected with terrorist organisations are planning to take advantage of the forthcoming peace talks to gain entry into the country disguised as delegates. 

Already, the United Nations has classified a 20km stretch from Kenya's border with Somalia as Zone 5, meaning a very high-risk security area in the face of continued instability in Somalia.

The representative of the UN Secretary-General in Somalia, Winston Tubman, last week told The EastAfrican that all everything depend on how the Kenyan authorities treated delegates from Puntland once they arrived in the country. 

While conceding that the move could add to the problems that have delayed the resumption of the third phase of the talks, Mr Tubman however added that arrangements had been made to identify genuine delegates at the airport. 

But Mary Musafia, Public Relations Officer, speaking on behalf of the Principal Immigration Officer Henry ole Ndiema, said the ban by Kenya on the use of Somali passports was a temporary measure that did not affect those who seek entry for reasons such as the peace talks, humanitarian missions and those working for UN agencies.

"It has been observed that a large number of Somali passports are susceptible to forgery, counterfeiting and irregular issuance," Mr Ndiema said, adding that the Department would issue special entry passes to deserving cases, "notwithstanding their holding of Somali passports."

The decision by the Kenya government not to recognise Somali passports – even if temporarily – could add to the many hitches facing the peace talks that Kenya has been chairing courtesy of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) for almost two years.

After a four-month break that followed the signing of the controversial Unity Accord in Nairobi in January, delegates started trickling into Nairobi last Friday for the final phase of the talks, that are expected to instal a new government in Somalia by July 1. 

The talks are expected to kick off soon after the Igad Foreign Ministers' meeting on May 6 – which those privy to the talks doubt will take place, taking into account the vested regional interests in the outcome of the talks. 

Kenya is being openly accused by some Somali factions of behaving like an interested party, despite the fact that Ethiopia and Djibouti – the two godfathers of the warring Somali factions – continue to push for a settlement and a government that will do their bidding. 

Notably, the Ethiopian special envoy has not attended the talks since the October 2003 Igad summit in Kampala, while Djibouti recalled its representatives for consultations four weeks ago. 

Mr Tubman is however optimistic, arguing that despite the Ethiopian envoy's absence during the second phase of the talks, the Ethiopian government has given an assurance that it is participating fully in the talks and ready to join the rest whenever it is needed.

He said discussions were going on to have the Igad Foreign Ministers visit UN headquarters in New York for a meeting with the Security Council to reaffirm the political commitment of their respective countries to the talks.

The UN visit has been necessitated by numerous complaints by the Somali factions that the peace talks have not been accorded the same international attention as those of Sudan.

But of great concern, are indications that the Kenya government is getting increasingly frustrated, to the point of reconsidering whether the country should continue hosting the talks, should the final phase fail to produce a binding agreement.

Notably, soon after the signing of the Unity Accord in January – which established a federal system to be used for five years by the transitional administration awaiting a new constitution – 18 out of the 24 militia leaders who were part of the Accord, disowned the agreement on grounds that they signed it under duress because it was different from the one they had agreed on during a consultative meeting at Nairobi's Safari Park Hotel.

Besides the lack of progress 18 months down the line, it is emerging that Kenya's NARC government – which inherited the talks from the previous Kanu regime – is getting jittery over the $10 million deficit, which it fears it could be forced to settle, especially if the talks fail. Sources in the government intimated that Kenya has no guarantee that the 20 donors will honour their financial pledges should the process fail.

The European Commission, which is the main financier of the talks, channels its funds through the Programme Management Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that operates a special account for the purpose, while other donors channel their contributions through the the Igad Peace Fund. 

But despite attracting many willing donors, the talks have turned out to be a money-guzzler since they started in Eldoret, Kenya, with each delegate spending about Ksh5,000 ($64) per day on accommodation, food and allowances, besides the cost of conference facilities and logistics.

Officially, the second phase of the talks had 366 delegates, but the actual numbers were as high as 500. Donors have now insisted that the delegates be reduced from 366 to 203, while most of those who have been participating insist that they cannot be left out at this crucial stage.
 

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