VOA标准英语2009年-AU Envoy Says Somalia's National Unity Governme

The African Union special envoy¹ to Somalia said Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has assured him the national unity² government now being formed will be secular³. The head of the AU peacekeeping mission AMISOM is hailing Sheikh Sharif's rise to power as a 'big chance' for halting the insurgency⁴ that has made Somalia ungovernable for nearly two decades.
　
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, 01 Feb 2009

Special envoy Nicholas Bwakira is appealing to the international community for sustained diplomatic and political support for efforts to establish a stable administration in Somalia. After briefing the AU Peace and Security Council, Bwakira said he had been assured by Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a Somali cleric, that his government would not be religious.

"He also indicated that ... on the matter of religion, it would be the government, the State which will outline the policy, not the clerics," he said.

Bwakira told reporters President Sharif and his newly-named Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke are likely to name a full cabinet this week, and then return to Mogadishu to begin the monumental task of rebuilding their shattered country.

The envoy said Nigeria, Uganda and Burundi will soon be sending reinforcements for the African Union peacekeeping force known as AMISOM. He did not specify⁵ a date, though senior AU officials had previously⁶ said the force would be strengthened from its current 3,500 to more than 5,000 by the end of this month.

The AMISOM force commander, General Francis Okello said he needs more troops as his peacekeeping operation joins forces with Somali government forces to bring stability to Mogadishu. But he told reporters he is encouraged not so much by the prospect⁷ of AMISOM's improved military strength, but by the seeming willingness of Somalis to accept President Sharif's peacemaking political initiative.

"It is not actually the number of troops we have on the ground that will achieve peace, and I think we have a very big chance now in the presidency⁸ of his Excellency Sheikh Sharif who is demonstrating openly that peace can be attained⁹ by reaching out to everybody, by including everybody on board," he said.

General Okello acknowledged security conditions in much of Somalia remain fragile. He said two insurgent¹⁰ groups, al-Shabab and the Party of Islam, have staged seven attacks in Mogadishu in the past month, including the suicide bomb blast that struck just as President Sharif was making his debut¹¹ at the AU summit this month.
　
Tanks of Ugandan forces from AU peacekeepers stand guard at a base in Mogadishu on 18 Jan 2009

News reports at the time had told of Ugandan AMISOM troops responding to the bombing by opening fire on a nearby crowd, prompting calls from human rights groups for an independent international investigation¹². Okello said an AMISOM Board of Inquiry¹³ is almost finished with its own internal investigation of the incident, which killed 11 civilians¹⁴ and two policemen. But he flatly denied reports of indiscriminate shooting of civilians.

"This is called indiscriminate use of force, AMISOM has never indiscriminately used force. And this is the perception being created, that when this happens, AMISOM jumps out and starts shooting anyone in sight. This is not what happened," he said.

Okello said the conclusions of the internal probe will be made public as soon as they are available.

An earlier Ugandan army investigation had concluded that all the fatalities¹⁵ were caused by the bomb blast, and not by gunfire.

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 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 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。

4 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

5 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

9 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

10 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。

11 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

14 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

15 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》