VOA标准英语2009-Somalia Moves to Forefront on AU Summit Agen

Somali government's recent declaration of a state of emergency has moved the country's security crisis to the top rank of items for consideration at this week's African Union summit. From AU headquarters in Addis Ababa our correspondent reports that summit leaders will consider issuing a call for direct military intervention¹.
　
Islamist fighters, seen, during clashes with Somali government soldiers, in Mogadishu (file photo)

Fast-moving events in Somalia are propelling the Horn of Africa to urgent status on the summit agenda. After his government declared an emergency last week, Deputy Prime Minister Sharif Hasan Sheikh Adan flew to Addis Ababa to plead with Ethiopian and AU leaders for enhanced military support.

Ethiopia pulled troops out of the besieged² Somali capital, Mogadishu, earlier this year and is reluctant to return without a strong mandate³ from the international community.

The 5,000 strong African Union peacekeeping force AMISOM is overstretched. It also lacks the mandate that would allow peacekeepers to defend against an expected offensive by the radical⁴ rebel group al-Shabab, which is trying to impose strict Islamic law, or Sharia, in a country that practices a moderate brand of Islam.

Adan estimates that 2,000 foreign fighters are in Somalia to bolster⁵ al-Shabab.

The deputy prime minister said that Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed will plead at the summit for urgent reinforcements and a more robust⁶ mandate for AMISOM, so it can confront the rebels head on.

"To change the mandate from peacekeeping to peacemaking, it has to be armed like a government, so they can defend themselves," said Adan.

Adan said that a summit vote of confidence would provide a desperately⁷ needed boost for Somalis who are concerned that their under equipped military is about to be overrun by a foreign force of hardline Islamic militants⁸.

"They will also have moral support; the people will have a positive view on how the government is alive and is able to protect itself," he said. "We have people to protect us, but we need help from the international community to build."

AU Peace and Security Commissioner⁹ Ramtane Lamamra was quoted from the summit site as saying the continental¹⁰ body fully¹¹ supports the Somali request for assistance. He told the PANA news agency that the heads of state will consider all possibilities, including a call for direct military intervention from friendly states in the region.

Both Kenya and Ethiopia are considering military intervention. Kenya's foreign minister has been quoted as saying his country's army is on the "highest alert ever" because of the tensions in Somalia.

In an acknowledgment of the severity of the crisis, the United States last week confirmed that it is sending arms to the Mogadishu government, and is stepping up the level of humanitarian¹² aid. A State Department spokesman said the money would help "repel¹³ the onslaught of extremist forces intent on spoiling efforts to bring peace and stability to Somalia".

1 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

2 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

5 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

6 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

7 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

8 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

9 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。

10 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

13 repel   

v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥

参考例句：

• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
• Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。