EGYPT, (insidesomalia.org)- Egypt welcomed on wednesday welcomed the cease-fire agreement reached in Djibouti Monday [9 June] between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu-al-Ghayt hailed in statements the

He also expressed appreciation of the government of Djibouti for hosting the talks. The next period needs more efforts to implement the agreement and end armed clashes in the country, Abu-al-Ghayt said.

He called for a comprehensive political process to achieve national reconciliation in Somalia . Egypt was close to all parties during the talks and helped bridge differences in points of views, said Abu-al-Ghayt.

He added that Egypt was ready to continue support to the Somali rivals to assure the success of the national reconciliation efforts in light of its close contacts with all sides.

The Somali government and opposition figures signed an eleventh-hour peace deal aimed at ending 17 years of conflict, but Islamic insurgents at the heart of a recent escalation in violence are not included in the agreement.