2007年VOA标准英语-Somali Government Says Reconciliation Conferenc

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
12 July 2007

Despite escalating¹ insurgent² violence in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, the country's transitional government says the much-delayed national reconciliation³ conference to end the country's 16-year-old civil war will begin on Sunday as scheduled. But as VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu in our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi reports, only a small fraction of the 1,300 invited delegates are likely to attend.

Italy's Special Envoy⁴ to Somalia, Mario Raffaelli, tells VOA that leaders of Somalia's western-backed interim⁵ government have assured him and other European Union diplomats⁶ that the reconciliation conference will not be delayed a fourth time.

Georges-Marc Andrea, centre, the new European Union (EU) envoy for Somalia, as he arrived at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, 05 Jul 2007

Raffaelli was among a group of EU diplomats who visited the restive⁷ Somali capital on Wednesday. The group, led by the EU special envoy to Somalia Georges-Marc Andre, held private talks with interim President Abdullahi Yusuf, conference organizers, and several pro-government elders of the city's dominant⁸ but highly divided Hawiye clan⁹.

"They told us that, definitely, they want to start on Sunday with the opening ceremony, and the conference will go on, even if not all of the delegates are in town," said Raffaelli.  "According to them, almost 800 delegates are already in Mogadishu. Two hundred or 300 are supposed to come today and tomorrow."

But many Somalis in the capital remain skeptical¹⁰ of government claims that hundreds of clan elders, factional leaders, and politicians invited from across Somalia are in the city now.

Workers at Mogadishu's main airport say they have not seen large delegations¹¹ arriving in recent days. Owners of several major hotels in Mogadishu say their establishments are virtually empty.

Delegates in the war-ravaged city would require the protection of Somali and Ethiopian soldiers, who are the targets of daily grenade and roadside bomb attacks.

Insecurity in the capital delayed the reconciliation talks in April and then again in May. Conference organizers reduced the number of invited delegates from 3,000 to 1,300 and last month, they delayed the talks for a third time, saying the reconciliation process lacked international funding.

The insurgents¹² are largely remnants of the Islamist movement defeated in an Ethiopia-led offensive in late December as well as Hawiye sub-clan members, who feel marginalized by the interim government's factional leaders.

Hours after the EU diplomats left Mogadishu, insurgents fired mortars¹³ at the presidential palace and at the bullet-scarred conference site, where workers were repairing the roof and installing new windows.

For the sixth straight day, explosions have ripped through Mogadishu's famed Bakara Market, where Somali and Ethiopian troops have been hunting for insurgents and illegal weapons. Somali residents say the troops have spent more time looting businesses than protecting citizens.

Somalis say the market, like most of the city, has been shut down and under an unofficial, 24-hour curfew.

1 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

2 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

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 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。

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 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》

7 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

8 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

9 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

10 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

11 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

12 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

13 mortars   

n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵

参考例句：

• They could not move their heavy mortars over the swampy ground. 他们无法把重型迫击炮移过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Where the hell are his mortars? 他有迫击炮吗？ 来自教父部分