voa标准英语2008-AU Welcomes Somalia President's Resignation

Africa's top peace and security official has welcomed the resignation of Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf, saying it clears the way for actions that could prevent the country from descending¹ into chaos² as Ethiopian troops withdraw.
　 COLLAPSE⁷: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="15%" align="left" border="0">

African Union peace and security commissioner3 Ramtane Lamamra speaks in Nouakchott (File)

AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra calls President Yusuf's resignation a necessary act of self-sacrifice. In a telephone interview, Lamamra said the Somali leader had become an obstacle to efforts to bring stability to the lawless Horn of Africa nation.

"Yusuf may have come himself to the conclusion that his presence as head of state would not serve the cause of peace and reconciliation⁴ in Somalia and he may have felt he eventually became part of the problem rather than part of the solution, and in political life, individuals have to make sacrifice when it comes to the supreme⁵ interests of the country," said Lamamra.

President Yusuf's resignation comes days before Ethiopia withdraws the troops it sent to Somalia two years ago to prop⁶ up his United Nations-backed transitional government. The Ethiopian pullout leaves only a 3,400-strong African Union peacekeeping force, leading to fears that the increasingly weak government would collapse and be replaced by Islamic extremists.

But Security Commissioner Lamamra says the resignation provides an opening for several hopeful developments. On the domestic front, it clears the way for the creation of a broader-based government of national unity⁸, as called for in an accord signed in Djibouti in October with moderate Islamists from the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, or ARS.

"I understand there are a lot of members of parliament who are willing to put in place the expanded parliament and the cabinet of national union that is provided for in the Djibouti political process, and therefore this resignation may open new horizons for the new configuration⁹ of the transitional institutions to be put in place with the inclusion of the ARS representatives and whoever would be representing other Somali stakeholders, including diaspora," he continued.

Lamamra says he also expects the United Nations Security Council to act within 48 hours to pledge what he calls 'a very concrete logistical package' that would strengthen the A peacekeeping force known as AMISOM. He tells VOA a vote of support from the Security Council would encourage greater African troop contributions, in the hope that the force would eventually become a blue-helmeted U.N. force.

"If by the end of this year, the end of this month, within the next 48 hours, we can receive a clear indication by the UN Security Council that there is clearly an enhanced international commitment to Somalia in the security field by giving AMISOM what it needs in terms of enhancing its own effectiveness on the ground, and a clear indication as well that the UN will be taking a larger role and responsibility of the security areas of our mission. I think that will help our effort to be successful," he said.

Lamamra declined to discuss the status of efforts to quickly get more AMISOM troops in place to fill the security vacuum being left by the departing Ethiopian troops. Ethiopia has set a firm end of the month deadline for ending its presence in Somalia, but officials in Addis Ababa have said it might extend that presence by a few days to ensure the safety of the AMISOM peacekeepers.

As the pullout deadline approaches, there have been reports of heightened tensions in the capital, Mogadishu and clashes among Islamic factions¹⁰ poised¹¹ to take power if the transitional government collapses¹².

The government's deputy minister for reconciliation was reported assassinated¹³ Sunday in the provisional capital, Baidoa. VOA has also learned of an unsuccessful attempt last week on the life of the moderate ARS leader, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed.

Members of President Yusuf's security force abruptly¹⁴ fled Mogadishu Monday, hours before he resigned. News reports say the 100-strong militia¹⁵ flew to Yusuf's stronghold in northern Somalia.

1 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

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 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

4 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。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

7 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

8 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。

9 configuration   

n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置

参考例句：

• Geographers study the configuration of the mountains.地理学家研究山脉的地形轮廓。
• Prices range from $119 to $199,depending on the particular configuration.价格因具体配置而异，从119美元至199美元不等。

10 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

11 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

12 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

13 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

14 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

15 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。