UN-backed talks have opened in Djibouti in a bid to end the civil conflict that has raged in Somalia for nearly two decades.

The talks on Sunday, which had been planned to open a day earlier before being delayed, are aimed at bringing Somali government officials and exiled opposition leaders into direct dialogue in a push for peace.

Ahmed Ould Abdallah, the UN special envoy to Somalia, said: "I have been extremely encouraged by the progress made so far and the huge support we have received from Somalis inside and outside the country."

"This will be a wonderful opportunity for the Somali leaders to demonstrate to the international community their strong commitment and determination to restore peace and stability to Somalia."

'Crucial talks'

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from the east African nation, said: "These talks are considered extremely crucial to the future of Somalia, and whether or not this long-running conflict can be resolved."

He said the mainly Islamist opposition and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) continue to be at odds over the conditions to bring peace to the country.

"The Union of Islamic Courts, and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, their allies, demand the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops.

"If the TFG does not accept this, they believe that there is no point to these discussions," Adow said.

A first round of discussions on May 16 ended without direct talks between the rivals, but the move was seen as a breakthrough in efforts to end a conflict which has seen at least 6,000 civilians die in fighting over the past year, according to international rights groups and aid agencies.

Push for 'lasting peace'

The negotiations are to receive a boost on Monday with the visit of a delegation from the UN Security Council, which will be touring Africa over the coming week.

Ambassadors from all 15 member nations plan to visit several countries on the continent.

However, their main priority is to push for lasting peace in Somalia and Sudan.

The African Union (AU), which has around 2,600 peacekeepers deployed in Somalia, also lent its support to the Djibouti talks.

The AU's Peace and Security Council said in a statement issued on Friday it had "encouraged the parties to pursue their efforts in a spirit of compromise and mutual accommodation in order to promote national reconciliation and lasting peace in Somalia".

It also urged Somali factions that have so far shunned the process to participate in the negotiations.

While some Islamist leaders and influential clan leaders have joined the discussions, other Islamist opposition leaders claim the mediation was biased and continued to demand an Ethiopian withdrawal before talks can start.

PHOTO CAPTION

A boy plays with an old gun at a village in Somalia's capital Mogadishu March 13, 2008.

Al-Jazeera