2006年VOA标准英语-Diplomats Urging Somali Factions to Attend Peac

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
17 October 2006
 
Western analysts² and diplomats³ are urging Somalia's secular⁴ interim⁵ government in Baidoa and its Islamist rival in Mogadishu not to boycott⁶ the next round of peace talks. The talks are scheduled at the end of this month in Khartoum, Sudan.

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Observers say they fear rising tensions between Somalia's weak-Ethiopian-backed transitional government and Islamists are quickly reaching a point, where it may be difficult to avert⁷ a conflict.

Earlier this month, the Islamists declared war on neighboring Ethiopia, accusing Addis Ababa of sending troops to help government forces briefly⁸ seize Buur Hakaba, a town controlled by pro-Islamist fighters.

Since then, there have been reports of clashes between pro-government militias¹⁰ and Islamist fighters in the port city of Kismayo and near Bu'aale, 350 kilometers south of Baidoa, where the interim government is based.

Relations deteriorated¹¹ further on Sunday, when residents of the southern Somali town of Dinsor reported that well-armed Ethiopian troops, accompanied government forces, briefly took control of that town. 

 
Militiamen of the Islamic Court in Mogadishu patrol the streets of Mogadishu
  
Islamic court leaders in Mogadishu, who took power in the capital from factional leaders four-and-a-half months ago, say the government's military incursions are in violation¹² of a deal reached during an earlier round of peace talks in Khartoum. The deal recognized each other's existence and promised not to make any military moves against one another.

But Nairobi-based regional analyst¹ Matt Bryden says the Islamic courts, accused by Somalia's interim government and Ethiopia of having ties to al-Qaida, have provoked fear by trying to quickly expand their control.

"The courts have been expanding steadily¹³ and have also moved their forces in response to the Ethiopian deployment," he said. "So, I think there is a risk now that, as these forces maneuver¹⁴ in closer and closer to one another, that we are going to see an unintentional escalation¹⁵ or maybe even a deliberate provocation¹⁶ from one side or another. There is a real risk of it coming to a head in the immediate¹⁷ future."

Bryden says the only way to resolve the standoff is for the Islamists and interim government officials to re-engage in dialogue at Arab League-sponsored talks in Khartoum.

"I think it is a matter of urgency that the two sides prepare their programs for the next round of peace talks, scheduled for October 30, and on that date, the mediators push for a security protocol¹⁸ that would stipulate¹⁹ the disengagement of forces and some kind of international supervision," he said.

Italy's envoy²⁰ to Somalia, Mario Rafaelli, says the radicals²¹ inside the courts are using the threat of an Ethiopian invasion to strengthen their grip on the Islamic militia⁹.

"You know, the biggest card for the radicals [is] to say that they can be attacked by foreign troops, particularly Ethiopia," he said. "So, of course, the lack of dialogue between the two sides was helpful for these people in order to go on with their agenda. So, there is a need for a dialogue to help the moderates inside [the courts]."

Ali Mohamed Gedi (file photo)  
  
On Sunday, the speaker of parliament in Baidoa, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, resigned as the government's chief negotiator at the talks. Parliament members tell VOA the speaker quit after a long-running feud²² with Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, who strongly opposes the talks.

Neither the speaker nor the prime minister could be reached for comment.

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

5 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

6 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

7 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

8 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

9 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

10 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

11 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

12 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

13 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

14 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

15 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

16 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

17 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

18 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

19 stipulate   

vt.规定，（作为条件）讲定，保证

参考例句：

• International rules stipulate the number of foreign entrants.国际规则规定了外国参赛者的人数。
• Some manufacturers stipulate the price at which their goods are to be sold.有些制造商规定出售他们生产的商品的价格。

20 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

21 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

22 feud   

n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇

参考例句：

• How did he start his feud with his neighbor?他是怎样和邻居开始争吵起来的？
• The two tribes were long at feud with each other.这两个部族长期不和。