��������

Amid its serene hills and the warmth of its people, the Djiboutian city of Arta inscribed one of the brightest chapters of reconciliation in modern African history. In the year 2000, it hosted the Somali National Reconciliation Conference, writing a luminous page in both African and Arab history.

For four months, under one large tent, thousands of Somalis — from every clan, faction and region, both from inside the country and the diaspora — gathered to lay the first foundations for a long-awaited peace.

The Arta conference transcended being a purely Somali affair. It became a model for crisis management in Africa, inspired by authentic Arab and Islamic values.

Far from being a passing event, it marked a turning point that brought Somalia back on to the political map after a decade of chaos and civil war.

This initiative came from President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in the early months of his presidency, as he was convinced that the stability of Somalia was essential to the stability of Djibouti and the entire Horn of Africa.

The conference was officially inaugurated on May 2, 2000, in Arta — located about 40km from Djibouti City — and brought together about 4,000 Somali participants: politicians, intellectuals, scholars and clan elders.

It was the broadest national dialogue since the collapse of the Somali state in 1991.

The people and government of Djibouti mobilized completely for its success.

Djiboutian families opened their homes to Somali delegates for the entire four-month period, while the government provided all logistical and administrative support — a remarkable scene that embodied true Arab-Islamic solidarity and fraternity.

As President Guelleh declared at the time: “Djibouti is not merely hosting a political conference; it is welcoming its Somali brothers out of love and duty. Somalia’s peace is Djibouti’s peace — and the peace of the entire region.”

The Arta conference resulted in the establishment of a Transitional National Parliament of 225 members, including 25 seats for women and 24 for minorities — an unprecedented step in Somali political life.

Arta stands as a milestone, proving that dialogue, when guided by genuine intent, can work miracles.

Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama

A Transitional National Charter was adopted, providing for a three-year interim period to restore state institutions and form a Transitional National Government, led by President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, the first legitimately elected Somali president after a decade of political collapse.

The international community warmly welcomed the initiative. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent a letter of appreciation to Guelleh, commending his “sincere efforts to achieve lasting peace in Somalia and to restore the normal functioning of its state institutions.”

In his addresses, Guelleh repeatedly expressed his firm belief that the road to stability in the Horn of Africa begins with the stability of Somalia. Speaking to delegates, he said: “Help me bring Somalia back to the right path and show the world that Somalis can overcome their divisions through peace, not through the gun.”

When the talks stumbled over the distribution of parliamentary seats, Guelleh intervened with words that became legendary: “I have realized that dividing chairs is harder than uniting hearts — but we are here to unite hearts first.”

These heartfelt words restored trust among the Somali factions and paved the way for a consensus on the final draft of the charter.

The Arta conference still holds a special place in Somali memory. The late poet Yam Yam famously declared during the conference: “I no longer celebrate independence, for Somalia is still seeking freedom from war.”

Politician Aisha Ahmed Abdallah, one of the first Somali women to participate, said: “It was the first time that Somali women were allowed to take part in shaping the nation’s political decisions.”

Veteran politician Abdullah Issaq Derro, later elected speaker of the transitional parliament, stated: “Arta did not just bring us together — it restored our sense of belonging to a homeland.”

�������� was at the forefront of the nations supporting Somalia’s reconciliation efforts, extending political and humanitarian backing to the Arta conference and recognizing that Somalia’s stability is vital for the security of the Red Sea and the entire region.

Egypt, along with other countries, also supported this historic initiative that Djibouti hosted — a rare and shining moment in modern African diplomacy.

Twenty-five years later, the Arta conference remains the most successful model of Arab-African reconciliation, born of sincerity, solidarity and collective goodwill.

Though Somalia’s journey toward complete peace is still ongoing, Arta stands as a milestone, proving that dialogue, when guided by genuine intent, can work miracles.

The conference laid the groundwork for a new political culture based on national representation and opened the path toward constitutional life, democratic elections and the building of legitimate institutions that continue to move forward with determination.

The Arta conference of 2000 remains a shining testimony to values-based diplomacy — diplomacy that is capable of restoring peace to nations and giving true meaning to brotherhood.

Djibouti, under the leadership of President Guelleh, believed that Somalia’s security is its own security and that peace is a shared responsibility. Thus, the Arta experience will remain a living example that sincere political will, when guided by integrity and faith in a shared destiny, can restore balance to nations and give brotherhood its highest human meaning.

• Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama is Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Kingdom of ��������. X: @dya_bamakhrama