For years, rag-tag outfits toting deadly weapons have been left to their devices in Somalia, and anarchy has reigned supreme.

But when the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was formed in Nairobi in 2005, it was envisaged that the international community would give Somalia troops and logistics to mop up arms and stabilise the war-ravaged nation, and material aid for reconstruction.

However, according to a former Kenyan ambassador to that country, "the international community has so far been the biggest culprit in the Somali conflict".

In an interview with the Sunday Nation, Mohamed Affey claimed that had Somalia been given "a third" of the attention being accorded Darfur, Chad or even Uganda, the conflict in the country would have ended a long time ago.

But he said the new government, led by President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, is more inclusive and appears to have the tentative support of the international community.

"For the last 18 Somalia has been a tale of missed opportunities, but now there is a chance that the country, with the assistance of the international community, could finally come to a peaceful resolution".

The new government's inclusiveness stems from the fact that, apart from the hardline al Shabaab Islamic group, the administration is now enlarged to include members of the TFG (composed mainly of former warlords), the Islamic Court Union and lobby groups, a critical element that was missing before.

It may also be a plus for Sheik Ahmed that he is not known for warlike activities, a fact that could endear him to the UN, the US and the other Western countries that have shown signs of support.

He is also comparatively young - about 45. So the majority of Somalis who are youthful and fatigued by war and political bickering can identify with him.

"When he assumed the leadership of the Islamic Courts Union, he was able for six months before the Ethiopian troops came in to effectively manage the city of Mogadishu, which speaks volumes about his leadership qualities," notes Affey.

The outcome of the process that made Sheik Ahmed president is seen as a continuation of the Nairobi one that resulted in the TFG, and with the standing bilateral agreement signed in 2005 between Somalia and Kenya, it is expected to be business as usual between the two countries if and when the situation normalises.

But Affey admits that the security situation in that country and generally in the region is precarious.

"We share a 2,400km plus porous border and small arms from that country easily find their way into our cities and towns. This situation is enough to worry. "Insecurity in Somalia automatically translates into insecurity in Kenya and the rest of the region, and so nobody can rest easy," he adds.

The influx of refugees running away from the mayhem in their country is a big challenge to Kenya's ecosystem as well as internal and food security, among other things.

"Although we welcome them on humanitarian grounds, they are a big stress to our socio-economic wellbeing, and the sooner their country is back on its feet, the better for us as a country," Affey says"

And noting that Kenya is one of the region's states affected economically by the Somali pirates, with the transportation of cargo by sea to the port of Mombasa becoming prohibitive, the envoy says the Government cannot simply wish the problem away, and that it has the "sacred duty" of ensuring there is stability in Somalia for the sake of that country's people, Kenyans and the other people of the region in general.