2006年VOA标准英语-UN's Top Somalia Envoy Hopeful Peace Talks Will

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
01 December 2006

The United Nation's envoy¹ to Somalia says Thursday's deadly suicide car bombings near the town of Baidoa, where the country's besieged² interim³ government is based and the only town it controls, have not dampened hopes for the resumption of stalled peace talks between the government and Somali Islamists.   VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi.

Cars burn after a bomb explodes at a checkpoint in Baidoa, Somalia

Authorities in Baidoa on Friday tightened⁴ security and arrested several people suspected of being involved in Thursday's suicide attack, which the interim government says was carried out by al-Qaida fighters or radical⁵ supporters of the powerful Mogadishu-based Islamist movement.

The U.N. envoy to Somalia, Francois Fall, tells VOA that he is dismayed by the incident, which has heightened fears that Somalia is firmly headed toward an all-out war between the secular⁶ Ethiopian-supported government and the Somali Islamic Courts Union, whose leadership is accused of having ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.       

"I am very concerned about this kind of attack because this is the second time in Baidoa and we do not know exactly who committed that [act]," he said.  "We did not get an official confirmation⁷ that the courts assumed responsibility of the attack."

Somalia's first-ever suicide bombing occurred in Baidoa three months ago, when a car exploded near the convoy⁸ of interim President Abdullahi Yusuf.  The leader escaped but several people in his entourage were killed.  No one claimed responsibility for the attack.

There are conflicting reports about what exactly happened on Thursday at a checkpoint, five kilometers outside Baidoa.  One government official says a woman wearing a veil and two other people blew up their cars as police tried to inspect their vehicles.  Other witnesses say only one car exploded and the force of the blast destroyed two other cars waiting behind it. 

The blasts killed nearly a dozen people, including unconfirmed reports that foreigners were among the dead. 

Islamist officials in Mogadishu, whom the government blamed for the bombing in September, denied they were behind the attack on Thursday.  But Islamist commanders have reportedly said the suicide bombers⁹ were targeting an Ethiopian military position in Baidoa. 

Two months ago, Islamist leaders declared a holy war on neighboring Ethiopia, whom they accuse of sending thousands of troops across the border to prop¹⁰ up the weak interim government.  Ethiopia says it has sent several hundred military advisors¹¹ to Baidoa, but denies the presence of thousands of troops.

Thursday's bombings came just hours after Ethiopia's parliament adopted a resolution that called the Islamists a "clear and present danger" to Ethiopia and gave Prime Minister Meles Zenawi the authority to take any legal means to combat the threat.

But Francois Fall says he and other diplomats¹² still believe there is a chance for all sides to calm down and resume peace talks at the end of this month in Sudan.

"We are talking to the government," he added.  "We are now in touch with the courts in Mogadishu and there are some other initiatives on the ground.  All of us, we are working with the Arab League to enter in some meaningful dialogue because we believe dialogue is the key to security and power-sharing."

The Islamists have rapidly gained power and territory since they seized the capital Mogadishu in June, threatening the interim government's authority.  Two previous Arab League-mediated peace talks in Khartoum failed to halt escalating¹³ tension between the two sides.  A third scheduled round of talks never took place.

1 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。

2 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

3 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。

4 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 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。

7 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

8 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

9 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

11 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

12 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》

13 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句