2006年VOA标准英语-UN Calls For End to Somalia Fighting

By Cathy Majtenyi
10 May 2006
 
 
A relative of eight year old Nastexo Abdi Ali comforts her in the Medina hospital in Mogadishu
  
The United Nations has condemned¹ the latest round of fighting in Somalia's capital between militias² loyal to the Islamic courts and a secular³ anti-terrorism alliance.  At least 80 people have been killed in the clashes and more than 200 injured.

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Fighting between members of the Islamic Court Union and the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counterterrorism continued for the fourth day in the streets of Mogadishu.

The conflict reportedly broke out after an assassination⁴ attempt on one of the counterterrorism alliance's leaders.

Media reports quoted Islamic Court Union Chairman Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed as saying that his group would observe a cease-fire from late Tuesday.  But clashes continue.

The U.N. Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Francois Fall, appealed for the heavily armed militias to stop their warfare⁵.

Fall tells VOA the fighting is threatening to undermine the peace process and the ability of the recently inaugurated transitional government to function well.

"We took almost two years to put the Somali leaders together and to force the dialogue among the leaders of Somalia to try to rebuild a functional⁶ state in this country," he said.  "The peace process was going very well with the ongoing⁷ Somali parliament session in Baidoa.

Fall calls for both militias to work within the government system and the Somali parliament, which is currently based in the town of Baidoa.

"All the actors in Somalia should join the group of Baidoa, together, inside the framework of the TFI, the transitional federal institutions.  Then we can work together and try to rebuild something consistent in Somalia," he added.

Fierce fighting between the two groups first erupted in Mogadishu in March, leaving at least 60 people dead and hundreds wounded and displaced.

Media reports describe the anti-terrorist alliance, formed three months ago, as being a coalition⁸ of warlords who aim to stem what they feel is growing Islamic extremism in Somalia.  The Islamic courts are said to want to maintain law and order in the volatile⁹ capital.

It is widely believed that the United States is backing the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counterterrorism.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack recently told reporters that the United States is, "working with individual members of the transitional government to try to create a better situation in Somalia."

The United States has long been concerned that chaotic¹⁰ Somalia could become a haven¹¹ for international terrorists.

There have been more than a dozen attempts to form a central government in Somalia since civil war broke out in 1991.  Since then, warlords and their militias have battled with each other and civilians¹² to control different parts of the country.

A transitional Somali parliament was formed in Kenya more than a year ago following a two-year peace process, and recently met for the first time in Somalia.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

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 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

5 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

6 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

10 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

11 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

12 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。