Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Chongli, on behalf of the Chinese government in Jowhar, Somalia on Monday signed several agreements with Somali President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed, providing over US$6 million economic aid to Somalia.

 

According to the agreements, the Chinese government will provide a grant of 50 million yuan (about US$6.3 million) to the Somali government, and the grant shall be utilized to finance provision of goods or projects to be agreed upon through consultations between the governments of the two countries.

 

"With the signing of the agreement, the Chinese government wants to express strong support for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and to further develop friendly relations and economic and technical cooperation between the two countries," said Guo.

 

With a view to demonstrating the support of the Chinese government to the Somali government, and further enhancing the existing Sino-Somali friendly relationship, the Chinese government has also granted US$100,000 in cash to the Somali government.

 

Another accord is about the grant from the China Charity Federation, which donated US$250,000 to demonstrate the sympathy and support of the Chinese people to the Somali people on the great loss suffered from the tsunami disaster.

 

Yusuf appreciated the help provided by the Chinese government to Somalia, and he called on the Somali people to make peace a reality in the whole nation, and to rebuild the Horn of Africa nation after its 14 years civil war.

 

Guo also conveyed the invitation from President Hu Jintao to Yusuf to attend the first summit of "China-Africa Cooperation Forum" to be held in China next year.

 

Somalia has been without a central government since clan-based warlords overthrew Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Warlords then turned on each other, plunging the country into chaos.

 

Last year, Somalia's parliament and government were formed after two years of peace talks, and for security reasons, they were relocated from Kenya in June to the temporary base of Jowhar, 90 km north of the capital Mogadishu.

 

Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said the government is planning to relocate to Mogadishu within three to six months, as long as the security situation allowed it to do so.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2005)