2007年VOA标准英语-US Diplomat Calls for Stabilizing Forces in Som

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
05 January 2007

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer Friday warned that a stabilization¹ force should be sent into Somalia to prevent further chaos², and announced more funding from the United States to help Somalia get back on its feet after recent fighting there. Frazer's comments come at the end of a daylong meeting of officials from the United States, European countries, the African Union and others to discuss how best to bring about stability in Somalia. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Frazer told reporters in Nairobi members of the International Contact Group on Somalia strongly support a peacekeeping force to be sent into the Horn of Africa nation.

Jendayi Frazer, assistant US secretary of state for Africa, right, and Kenyan Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju, left, during a press conference in Nairobi

"The Contact Group clearly felt that it was important that there not be a security vacuum in Somalia," she said.  "But we also felt that it was therefore urgent to get a stabilization force into Somalia with a process also of political dialogue and reconciliation³ so that the role of that stabilization force will be sustainable in terms of bringing about real peace in Somalia."

Frazer also announced that the United States would provide $24 million in additional funding to support development and peacekeeping efforts in the country.

This is on top of the $16.5 million that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Thursday for Somalia.

Frazer spoke⁴ at the end of a daylong closed-door meeting in Nairobi between Somali government officials and members of the International Contact Group on Somalia, which includes the United States and European nations. Representatives from the African Union, Arab League, countries in the region, and others were also present.

Somali president Abdullahi Yusuf opened the event by calling for the rapid deployment⁵ of an African peacekeeping force into Somalia, as approved earlier by the United Nations Security Council.

Other agenda items included the funding for the peacekeeping force, the provision of humanitarian⁶ aid, the formation of a civilian⁷ police force and other security measures, and reconciliation efforts.

Frazer said that the United States is concerned about the threat of al-Qaida terrorism worldwide, and that U.S. policy is to work towards a stable Somalia.

"The fundamental way to address that threat is to get stability in Somalia," she added.  "The opportunity that has now been presented to us to not have Somalia be a safe haven⁸ for terrorism [is] by the work of this Contact Group - we're putting an emphasis on getting development assistance, humanitarian assistance, technical assistance, and a stabilization force into Somalia is key."

Kenya's Minister of Foreign Affairs Raphael Tuju told reporters that Contact Group members urged the government to bring together representatives from clans⁹, religious groups, women, the business community, and others for reconciliation talks.

Somalia has been mired¹⁰ in war for several weeks in which Ethiopian-backed Somali government troops have been battling with fighters loyal to the Islamic Courts Union.

The Islamists have abandoned their key posts of Mogadishu, Kismayo, and other places, and the Somali government says it now has control of Somalia.

Earlier this year, the Islamic Courts Union seized control of the capital and other areas, before reaching a truce¹¹ with the government. Negotiations¹² between Somalia's transitional government and the Islamic Courts Union collapsed¹³ in Sudan on November 2.

1 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

8 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

9 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

10 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。