BBC Monitoring, July 8, 2002
SOMALIA: GOVERNMENT TO APPEAL FOR AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING FORCES - FOREIGN MINISTER
The interim government minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Hasan Ibrahim, Yusuf Dheeg, has said his government is engaged in efforts of getting support from its African brothers who are currently meeting in Durban, South Africa.
Speaking to a Somali journalist in Durban, the minister said his government would urge countries engaged in interfering in Somalia's internal affairs to stop interference.
The minister said he would discuss with the African leaders ways in which they would send African peacekeeping forces to disarm the Somali people and restore peace in the country...
Source: Radio HornAfrik, Mogadishu, in Somali 0500 gmt 8 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 8, 2002
SOMALIA: MINISTER ASKED TO REPENT FOR VIOLATING ISLAMIC JUDGMENT
Some 68 judges of the Islamic court who sit in the interim government's Banaadir Mogadishu and its environs regional courts have issued a statement concerning a religious judgment which was passed recently by the courts against a man found guilty of stealing, which the interim government's minister of justice objected to. According to the decree the man's limbs were to have been amputated. The officials, who have been meeting for many days over the issue which involved some top Muslim scholars, described the minister's action of blocking the court decision to amputate the accused as a serious mistake which violated Islamic teachings, saying that it was similar to that by late Somali President Siyad Barre who decreed that the role of men and women, as well as their rights to inheritance, were equal.
"It is wrong for the minister of justice, Muhammad Umar Indhabur, to say that because people were facing hunger a thief could not be amputated", said the officials in the statement, adding that what existed is a break-down of law and order, and not a food shortage, although the food is expensive. Therefore, they said, if sufficient evidence could be found to amputate a thief, then, it is obligatory to do so, as prescribed in religious books...
The officials also said that although the accused had a chance to appeal against the decision, it was wrong for the minister to appeal on his behalf. Finally, the judges asked the minister to publicly repent for committing a religious crime.
Source: Xog-Ogaal web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 8 Jul 02 / BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 8, 2002
SOMALILAND: SIX JUDGES RESIGN OVER NEW JUDICIARY BOARD
The minister of justice, Mr Abdihamid Garad Jama, uncovered that six judges from the Ministry of Justice resigned their positions as judges. The minister made this known to the media and added that the government would meet with the judges. The judges forwarded their resignation to the high court chairman Sa'id Farah, who is also the head of the justice committee. A copy of the resignation was also sent to the president and the minister of justice who were also given a notice.
The resignation comes as result of the formation of the independent judiciary board. The board was supposed to improve the improper justice practices that are current today. This board was announced earlier by the Somaliland president, Riyale Kahin , at the "Khairiyah ground' on 18 May. The appointment of the board was met by the Somaliland public with delight.
The judges who resigned stated that the forming of the committee was illegal and it messed with the judiciary system as some of the members of the board had grudges with the present judges.
The judges stated that some old-timer judges were terminated and replaced with some incompetent people. The minister of justice said that the judges might have some truth in their resignation complaints, but he added that the constitution gives the president the right to take steps.
Source: Somaliland Net web site in English 8 Jul 02 / BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 7, 2002
LIBYA OFFERS 60 SCHOLARSHIPS TO SOMALIA
The Libyan government has offered 60 scholarships to the Transitional Government of Somalia. Applications are currently being received at the (Police Training) Academy in Mogadishu. The Libyan government scholarships are reportedly meant for students who have completed their high school certificate exams and for the police forces. The successful candidates would be trained on administration, motor vehicle maintenance skills, while others will undergo senior police officers training course.
The deputy police commander, Maj-Gen Muhammad Haji Muhammad, who today spoke to our Radio Banaadir reporter, Abdirahman Hudayfi, said applications are now being received from those interested in studying in Libya, adding that the programme is part of the Transitional National Government efforts to promote basic community services.
Maj-Gen Muhammad We have announced this in all parts of Somalia. People can come from anywhere, from Hargeysa to Boosaaso. We do not ask people where they come from. It is open to all Somalis. They should submit their applications and it depends on their performance in the examinations.
Source: Radio Banaadir, Mogadishu, in Somali 0400 gmt 7 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 7, 2002
SOMALIA: UN AGENCIES TO RESUME RELIEF FLIGHTS TO BAIDOA FOLLOWING CEASE-FIRE
The two rival militia groups in Baydhabo town also spelt Baidoa, south-central Somalia that have been fighting each other in the past two-days early last night agreed on a cease-fire. Our reporter Mahmud Abdirahman, alias Bainabaina who contacted Baydhabo town has more on this.
Bainabaina The two fighting groups reached the cease-fire agreement last night after continuous mediation by a team of traditional leaders, professionals and intellectuals who exceeded 40 in number. The mediation team was chaired by Sharif Salah. The following points were part of the text of the agreement:
1. Unconditional and immediate cease-fire;
2. The two rival sides should disengage and retreat to Bakil and ADC camps, respectively, from 9 a.m. local time today;
3. The two warring parties should hold direct talks to be hosted by the mediation committee today;
4. Any party which violates this temporary as heard cease-fire would be fined at least 30m Somali shillings and everybody will be against that group. Mr Ali Margus whom we contacted by telephone had the following to say:
Margus We have made a lot of efforts. The whole of yesterday we were busy and we called for cease-fire and both sides agreed to our appeal. The cease-fire is so far now successful.
Our target was to reach a cease-fire and disengage the two militia groups. People should not carry guns in the town and any group that violates the cease-fire will be fined 30m Somali shillings and the community will curse that group.
Announcer Similarly, the mediation team appealed to the business people in Baydhabo town to resume their business activities normally in order to bring down the commodity prices which shot up to 3,000 Somali shillings per kilogram in the past two days. This was partly due to the transport breakdown between Baydhabo and Mogadishu city - the main supplier of commodities to Baydhabo town.
On the other hand, UN humanitarian flights will from today resume their normal operations at Baydhabo airport. The UN flights were suspended since the two rival militia groups begun fighting in the town.
According to a senior Unicef official in Baydhabo, whom we managed to talk to, the UN staff will today resume their work in Baydhabo town following the return of normalcy and calm to the town.
Source: Radio HornAfrik, Mogadishu, in Somali 0500 gmt 7 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 7, 2002
SOMALILAND: ADMINISTRATION DISMISSES ALL PROVINCIAL, DISTRICT JUDGES
Reports from the administration of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland say the justice minister, Abdihamid Garad Jama, has issued a circular dismissing all judiciary officials at the provincial HQ and in the districts.
The dismissal of the court officials follows the sacking of the supreme court chairman. The action is part of ongoing radical changes by the president of the administration aimed at streamlining the country's judiciary.
Source: HornAfrik Online text web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 7 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 7, 2002
SOMALIA: OVER 40 PEOPLE KILLED IN BAIDOA FIGHTING, GOVERNMENT SAID BEHIND IT
Shaykh Adan Madobe and Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade deputies of Col Shatigadud , have in a meeting with clan mediators, jointly rejected any talks aimed at reconciling with Col Muhammad Nur Shatigadud president of Somalia's Southwestern Regional State .
In an interview we held with him, Mr Habsade said Shatigadud was fully responsible for the problems which led to loss of life and property. "It is impossible for Shatigadud to be chairman while we continue being powerless deputies", said Habsade, who accused Mr Shatigadud of starting the fighting. "We never thought our political differences could go this far, he attacked us and we defended ourselves", said Mr Habsade. Asked whether there is a third party involved in the fighting, Mr Habsade said: "Shatigadud is a partner in a company owned by the son of Mr Daylaf a prominent Mogadishu tycoon , who has strong relations with the Arta interim government group and he is being supported by these men".
On the question of who controlled the town, he said: "We are in control of Baidoa, except a checkpoint outside the town on the way to Mogadishu, and Shatigadud is reportedly in Bur Hakaba 66 km from Baidoa ".
On the other hand, Shaykh Adan Madobe, whom we contacted concerning the fighting in Baidoa, also blamed the regional president strongly, saying he had failed to lead the Digil and Mirifle clans. "Shatigadud is a criminal who has committed crimes against the people and the country and he would be dealt with according to the wishes of the people and the state", said Mr Madobe, adding that the idea of forming a regional state came originally from the RRA Rahanwein Resistance Army, based in Baydhabo , but Shatigadud contravened the principle of setting up the administrative system, which called for the involvement of all interested parties...
"The fighting was engineered by the Arta group, and it is true that Shatigadud cannot withstand such heavy fighting", said Mr Madobe.
Important sources in Baidoa told Qaran that a lot of mediation efforts are under way to put the fighting to an end. It has been confirmed that at least 40 people have been killed during the fighting.
Source: Qaran, Mogadishu, in Somali 7 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 6, 2002
UN SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS SOMALI PEACE TALKS "ON VERGE OF COLLAPSE"
The UN secretary-general, Mr Kofi Annan, has said it was inappropriate to block the Somali peace and reconciliation process in Kenya.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Mr Annan said the Somali reconciliation talks were on the verge of collapse due to power wrangling among the Somali faction leaders, whom he said were just after their own interests. Mr Annan said there was need to resolve disputes among the countries neighbouring Somalia and their leaders, according to IRIN report. Mr Annan called for a united front and cooperation among the regional countries in charges of Somali issues, confirming that there were differences among them, which have caused delay in holding the Somali peace talks.
Source: Radio Banaadir, Mogadishu, in Somali 1700 gmt 6 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 6, 2002
SOMALI RECONCILIATION TALKS REPORTEDLY POSTPONED TO 2ND SEPTEMBER 2002
The inter-Somali reconciliation talks which had been planed to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, in early July 2002 has been postponed due to lack of funds which were necessary for holding the meeting as well as inviting its participants.
According to some members of IGAD Inter-Governmental Authority on Development technical committee in charge of organizing the talks, a hug budget promised by the international community, including the EU, Arab League and USA, has not yet been realized. They said up to now only 500,000 euros have been received, which they said could help only in the initial preparatory stages, as compared to the funds budgeted for the whole process.
The peace talks, now postponed to 2nd September 2002 , are said to have failed to take place mostly on financial ground. Both IGAD member countries as well as other parties interested in the Somali issue have unanimously agreed on the postponed date.
The IGAD technical committee, including Djibouti, will this week hold a meeting to discuss and sort out any anticipated obstacle likely to block the coming peace talks.
Source: Qaran, Mogadishu, in Somali 6 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 6, 2002
SOMALI PRESIDENT IN TALKS WITH DJIBOUTI LEADER ON DISARMING MILITIA GROUPS
The president of the Transitional Government of Somalia TGS , Dr Abdiqasim Salad Hasan, today in Djibouti city held talks with the Djibouti president, Ismael Omar Gelleh.
The two leaders discussed the situation in Somalia in respect to upcoming Africa's head of states summit in South Africa and other issues. According to interim government's information minister Prof Abdirahman Adan Ibrahim Ibbi, the two heads of State made three resolutions at the end of their talks.
Their first point touched about the existing insecurity in Horn of Africa and the planed changes of the OAU to AU. The two leaders also expressed a similar view in regards to the ongoing conference in Durban, SA.
Thirdly, the leaders agreed on the issue of disarmament and rehabilitation of the armed Somali militia groups, an idea proposed earlier by the interim government, hoping that it would be backed by the AU.
Source: Holy Koran Radio, Mogadishu, in Somali 1700 gmt 5 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 6, 2002
SOMALI COMMUNITIES IN DIASPORA SAID SUPPORTING FOREIGN MILITARY INTERVENTION
Somali communities in Diaspora have overwhelmingly welcomed the recent appeal by the Transitional Government of Somalia TGS for an international military intervention in Somalia with a view to disarming the country's armed militia groups.
The communities, living in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, USA, Canada and Sweden expressed their opinion through message sent to the office of the prime minister, Hasan Abshir Farah, according to interim government's acting spokesman Hasan Muhammad Haji Dusod. ...
Source: Holy Koran Radio, Mogadishu, in Somali 1700 gmt 6 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 6, 2002
ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY SAID IN "SENSITIVE" TALKS WITH KENYAN OFFICIALS OVER SOMALIA
The Arab League envoy in charge of Somali affairs, Salim al-Khusaybi, is holding sensitive talks in Nairobi with leaders from Kenya and IGAD's Inter-Governmental Authority on Development technical committee designated to organizing the Somali peace talks.
The envoy, who has visited Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan, has been emphasizing on how to forge a common strategy in regards to the Somali issue with a view to getting an all-inclusive Somali state. According to reliable sources, the envoy will, at the end of his visits, return to the Arab League HQ in Cairo, where he will present a report on Somalia to the league's secretary-general, Amr Musa.
The Arab League is in the forefront to revive its political influence in Somali affairs. Recently, Mr Amr Musa visited several countries in the Horn of Africa.
Source: Qaran, Mogadishu, in Somali 6 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
New Scientist, July 6, 2002.SECTION: Interview; Vol. 175; Pg. 50
Female intuition
HIGHLIGHT: Somalia has had no central government for a decade. Warlords rule. Deforestation is rampant. The deserts are spreading and a new drought looms. It's a tough existence, but one Somali grandmother is undeterred. Fatima Jibrell is the country's leading environmentalist. She tells Fred Pearce that the key to saving Somalia lies with its women.
Fatima Jibrell grew up as a nomad in the Somali desert. She has spent most of her adult life bringing up children and gaining academic qualifications in the US, returning home in the early 1990s just as Somalia fell apart. She came back "because the country needed her", and since then has been campaigning to promote the role of women in politics, conflict resolution and environmental issues. This year she won the Goldman Environmental Prize for grassroots environmentalists
How easy is it to change gender roles in Africa?
It will not happen overnight if that's what you're asking. It is a very slow and gradual process, but once certain barriers are broken things will progress very rapidly. We are tackling those barriers slowly but surely. How are things changing?
Women are the backbone of the communities and the custodians of the environment. But they don't have the power. In the traditional nomadic family, all decision making was done under a cherry tree by the men. The women had to influence the men at home. But now they are getting tired of that. For women, a lot is at stake in those meetings. If things go badly, the man can disappear out of the window. But the woman is stuck with the children, the elderly, the handicapped, the livestock, with everything. Now some women are going to the tree. And they are being listened to.
So the men are giving ground?
Yes. Women used to give up their sheep and goats when they got married. That doesn't happen any more. Unless the woman says so, not a single one can be sold or slaughtered.
Are women taking a bigger political role, too?
Yes. One of our leaders is now on the election committee for the Somaliland region, with six men. She is committed and a natural leader, so they follow her. In Puntland, another member of our team became a parliamentarian and put through a law to ban charcoal exports. The cutting down of our acacia forests for charcoal to sell to Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia is a huge business, and Somalia's worst environmental disaster. The clans that run the business are turning the whole forest into charcoal, and they have armies to guard them. Through our campaigning we have got export bans introduced in the north, but not yet in the south.
What does the Somali environment mean to you?
The way we look at the environment is very different from the way it is looked at in many parts of the world. We think everything is a part of the environmental puzzle. So the political participation of women, girls' education, youth leadership and animal and human health all play a part in managing the environment. My passion is nomads and the landscape.
Can you give me some examples of how women have intervened to improve life in Somalia?
The Puntland Women's Peace Initiative played a big role in pre-empting and diluting violent conflicts between the two men fighting for leadership in Puntland, Abdullayi Yusuf and Jama Ali Jama. Women came together and asked the men to resolve the conflicts peacefully, or if they must fight that they do it outside the populated areas. The women also threatened to pull out their sons, husbands and nephews from the militia. In the end, fighting still broke out, but the casualties were much lower than everyone had anticipated, mostly because of the lobbying that the women did. On another occasion, we brought in women from different places to mediate between two clans over water rights. This was the first time such a thing had happened in Somalia, but the women know about the water and how to manage it.
Why have men made such a mess of things?
The Somali culture is patriarchal. Men are not used to consulting the other half of the population. Even if they are wrong, they are not willing to seek opinions from outside their male circle. The result is that they keep building on their mistakes. Outsiders seeking to assist Somalia have assumed that working with the existing structures is the best way to help alleviate the country's problems. They have therefore strengthened the status quo, which has made the situation worse.
How can women increase their influence?
At one meeting I attended to discuss the political situation in the country, a UN representative suggested that women should not cause more controversy during the next peace negotiations by insisting on being involved, and that these extra demands were diverting attention from the main problems. It was further suggested that women should allow the warlords to settle their differences and only get involved once there was stability. What irony, I thought. All along we have complained that men are a big part of the problem. Now we should expect them to solve it and include us afterwards. Women have a chance now, and they must exploit the power vacuum. They cannot wait for things to settle down, for when things have settled down the men will claim we have no stake in the peace and the established government. More work needs to be done to empower women, and the international community should recognise and support our role. But that recognition must be genuine and not mere tokenism.
Would you say that women were already the dominant force in the real economy of rural Africa, because they do most of the farming?
Are there still people doubting that?
Can you see a time when women take over politics as well?
I do not know what indicators you would use to show that women have taken over politics, but then again I do not advocate women taking over politics. We simply want to be an important part of it. And that is already happening. In African countries like Uganda, women already account for a third of parliamentary representation. There are still barriers, but generally there is progress. I do not think that women alone are capable of solving the problems of Somalia today. They do not live in a vacuum, and each person has a role to play. Women are becoming more visible because of all the empowerment work that is going on, but they cannot afford to go it alone. Otherwise they will just be replacing men in the politics of exclusion, and we know how that has worked.
You were brought up as a nomad. Could you tell me about that?
I was born in the desert when it was British Somaliland. Each year our family migrated on foot with our animals from Laas Qoray, a village on the Gulf of Aden coast, over the mountains to the grassland of the interior. I remember that in certain places near the coast you could pull the sand apart and find water. It was that close to the surface. In the mountains there were springs and birds and flowers and bees. And there were many wild animals. Sometimes my mother would tie me to the tent with a long rope so I wouldn't wander off and be eaten by a leopard or a lion or a cheetah. At night we would hear lions roaring behind our tent.
How has it changed?
That grassland is just blowing dust today. There are no big cats. Many of the birds and bees are gone. So are the dung beetles, which used to disperse the animal droppings and create new soil. The fruit trees are being used for charcoal or building. There is nothing to keep the water on the land.
You left Somalia and went to school in the US. How did that happen?
My family had always gone to sea. My father became a sailor and went to England - Liverpool, I think - early in his life and later went to the US. My mother refused to join him. To pay my school fees, she traded in Yemen, buying clothes and bringing them back in a dhow. At the village she put them in a truck and took them to the Ethiopian border, where she loaded them onto camels to sneak across the border and sell them. When I wanted to go to high school, she sent me to the US to my father. He lived in Harlem because he was black and there was discrimination. After my schooling, I came back and worked for the Somali government for a while. But I returned with my husband to the US, where I did my masters in community organising at the University of Connecticut. I had five daughters and now have a granddaughter and grandson - a real clan.
You had a good life in the US. It must have been a big decision to go home.
Yes, it was very hard, especially for the kids. We went back to a village in the nomadic north. There was drought and lots of fighting. But America didn't need us. Somalia did. Since then, I have been involved in running two organisations: Horn Relief and Resource Management Somali Network. We concentrate on women's issues and the environment.
Do you fear terror groups hiding in Somalia?
I believe the US knows there is no Al Qaida group here. There could be some individuals, and a lot of people say, "Let America come in and get them and try them." Nobody is protecting them. Somalis don't want America to bomb them or anything.
Will the country ever be put back together again?
Somalia sank to the bottom. No country in the world has been without a government and survived for ten years. But I am hopeful. Clan issues are now taking the back seat and coexistence is taking the front seat. Women are gaining ground. Civil society is getting organised. But very few international agencies or neighbouring countries are supporting these activities. If they did we would have a good chance of creating a responsive government in Somalia.
What do you think about the anti-globalisation movement?
Globalisation is something to allow the rich to get richer while the poor get poorer.
But what's wrong with trade if it's on equal terms?
There are always loopholes in trade. When Kenya wanted to sell fish to Europe, Europe claimed that the fish were not clean enough. But Somali fish is eaten in your restaurants because it is caught by European ships - the same ones that pollute our waters. I think fair international trade is possible, but not under the present dynamics.
But you took personal advantage of globalisation. You went to the US to continue your education. What's wrong with that?
Well, I understand it is giving opportunities to some Somalis, but it doesn't give opportunities to Somalia. They are not the same thing. And most of the people who do go away don't come back.
BBC Monitoring, July 5, 2002
SOMALIA: AT LEAST 20 SAID KILLED IN BAYDHABO FIGHTING
![]()
Nairobi, 4 July: Fresh fighting erupted in the town of Baidoa Baydhabo, southcentral Somalia on Thursday 4 July in which at least 20 people were killed, local sources told IRIN.
The fighting between two factions of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), which controls much of the Bay and Bakool regions of southwestern Somalia, started at 0900 a.m. local time (0600 gmt) "and is still continuing", the sources said. It follows two days of relative calm after clashes on Monday in which seven people died. The fighting is pitting forces loyal to the chairman of the RRA, Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, against those loyal to his two deputies, Shaykh Adan Madobe and Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade...
Tension had been rising in Baidoa, the headquarters of the RRA, due to a deepening split between Shatigadud and his deputies over the establishment of the self-declared autonomous region of the South West State of Somalia (SWS). Shatigadud was declared SWS president in late March.
Source: UN , Nairobi, in English 5 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 5, 2002
SOMALIA: FOOD INSECURITY SAID AFFECTING UP TO 200,000 IN SOUTHWESTERN REGION
Nairobi, 4 July: Up to 200,000 people in Somalia's southwestern Gedo Region are considered to be vulnerable to food insecurity, a report has warned.
The report, produced jointly by the UN-EU Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) and USAID's Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS), said the worst-affected areas were the districts of Luuq, Dolo and Buulo Xaawo, in the north of the region. Prior to the outbreak of recent fighting in northern Gedo in March, the population in the area had already been food insecure due to "three consecutive dry years", which undermined crop and livestock production, the report said.
The situation had worsened in May/June 2001 when herders from north Gedo were forced to move most of their livestock to neighbouring regions and across to Ethiopia due to water and pasture shortage, thus denying the remaining household members access to livestock and milk - "both key income earners".
The report went on to recommend urgent action to alleviate the situation. In the short term, it said, all options should be considered to get much-needed food aid into the vulnerable areas.
It also recommended laying the groundwork for longer-term conflict resolution and reconciliation which recognized that only when inhabitants felt safe and secure in their homes could livelihoods be truly restored and strengthened.
Source: UN , Nairobi, in English 4 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 4, 2002
SOMALIA: POLITICIAN CRITICIZES CALL FOR UN PEACEKEEPING TROOPS
Prof Muhammad Farah Jim'ale executive member of the National Democratic League Party has said the call for UN peacekeeping troops in Somalia has not been properly studied.
In a press statement issued at the party HQ in Mogadishu, he said it was yet unclear whether such a mission could be possible, given the differences among the various factions and their links with foreign countries. Commenting on the national Somali reconciliation conference, Muhammad Farah Jim'ale said he would have liked to see the reconciliation efforts succeed, but said it was difficult to bring together the faction leaders, describing them as people of yesteryears. He hoped the conference would achieve results and bring good news to the Somali people.
Prof Muhammad Farah Jim'ale, one of the executive officials of the National Democratic League Party said:
Jim'ale The international community knows very well there are several factions in Somalia and I do not think there is one group which the international community will support separately and provide it with peacekeeping troops.
The only way of bringing international peacekeeping troops in Somalia is to agree on a broad-based national government acceptable to all factions and subsequently to win international recognition. It will not then need foreign troops, instead, the Somali police force can disarm the armed militias and can move to every corner of the country to bring about peace without taking too long.
Source: Radio Banaadir, Mogadishu, in Somali 1700 gmt 4 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 4, 2002
SOMALIA: FIGHTING SAID IMMINENT BETWEEN TWO RIVAL MILITIAS IN PUNTLAND
Mobilization for war is mounting in Puntland region between supporters of rival Puntland leaders Jama Ali Jama and Col Abdullahi Yusuf.
Reports say heavily armed militias loyal to Jama Ali Jama have reached to within 100 km of Boosaaso. Mr Jama Ali Jama's militias are reportedly approaching Boosaaso from the Qardho northeastern Somalia area. Militias loyal to Col Abdullahi Yusuf mounted military defence exercises 90 km from the Boosaaso town, the report added.
Further reports say there is growing concern and anxiety in the region.
Col Abdullahi Yusuf earlier threatened to clear Jama Ali Jama supporters from the Qardho route, describing them as bandits. However, Jama Ali Jama militias based along the Qardho-Boosaaso road did not take Col Abdullahi Yusuf's threat seriously.
Source: Radio HornAfrik, Mogadishu, in Somali 0500 gmt 4 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 4, 2002
SOMALI DELEGATION HOLDS TALKS WITH OAU SECRETARY-GENERAL IN SOUTH AFRICA
The foreign affairs minister of the interim Somali government, Yusuf Hasan Ibrahim (Dheeg) and Somalia's envoy to the UN, Ahmad Abdi Hashi (Hasharo), who are representing Somalia at the ongoing African ministerial meeting in Durban, South Africa, yesterday held talks with the OAU Organization of African Unity secretary-general Amara Essy , and the Djibouti and Nigeria ambassadors to South Africa.
The Somali delegation discussed with the OAU secretary-general issues related to the on-going reconciliation process. The delegation urged the OAU to double its efforts in the Somali reconciliation process...
Source: Qaran, Mogadishu, in Somali 4 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 4, 2002
RANSOM BUYS FREEDOM OF 23 PHILIPPINE CREWMEN ABDUCTED IN SOMALIA
Daily Inquirer web site on 4 July
Ransom was paid for the freedom of 23 Filipino crewmen held by suspected pirates for almost three weeks in Somalia, Labour and Employment Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas confirmed Thursday 4 July . Sto. Tomas told GMA 7 television the crewmen are now en route to India, their original destination before their ship was hijacked on 15 June.
"I understand ransom was paid by the insurer of the ship," she told GMA 7. It was not clear, however, how much ransom changed hands.
Department of Foreign Affairs DFA spokesperson Victoriano Lecaros for his part said the DFA has received unofficial report the crewmen have been freed and are on the way to India.
"The report said the ship is now running on its own power. Before the hijacking, the ship encountered engine trouble," Lecaros told radio DZBB.
"We are awaiting an official report from our people on the scene, but it looks like the (unofficial) report is true," he added.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer web site, in English 4 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 3, 2002
SOMALIA: BAIDOA SAID TENSE BUT CALM AFTER TWO DAYS OF FIGHTING
Nairobi, 3 July: A tense calm has returned to the town of Baidoa alternative spelling Baydhabo , two days after fierce fighting broke out there, local sources told IRIN on Wednesday 3 July .
The fighting was between different members of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), which controls much of the Bay and Bakool regions of southwestern Somalia.
A local businessman said Baidoa was calm, "but extremely tense" on Wednesday following Monday's fighting. "There is an uneasy calm, with some businesses reopening," he said. "We are all holding our breath and waiting to see what happens next." The fighting, which claimed over seven lives, involved forces loyal to the chairman of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, pitted against those loyal to his two deputies, Shaykh Adan Madobe and Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade.
Tension had been rising in Baidoa, the headquarters of the RRA, due to a deepening split between Shatigadud and his deputies over the establishment of the self-declared autonomous region of the Southwestern State of Somalia (SWS). Shatigadud was declared SWS president in late March.
According to local sources, both Shaykh Adan and Habsade felt that by establishing the SWS, Shatigadud had politically sidelined them, and concentrated "all the power in his hands".
A humanitarian source in Baidoa told IRIN on Wednesday that the fighting had interrupted the training of vaccinators for an upcoming campaign to immunize all children in the area against six killer diseases. "We had to halt the training until further notice due to the fighting and the uncertainty it created," he said. Other sources told IRIN that people were fleeing the town for fear of renewed clashes.
Religious leaders are engaged in mediation efforts between the two sides. "We are continuing with our effort, but have so far failed to bring the two sides together to talk face to face," a member of the mediation team told IRIN. "We cannot, however, give up."
Source: UN , Nairobi, in English 3 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 3, 2002
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND'S PARLIAMENT ELECTS VICE-PRESIDENT
The former vice-president of the Puntland administration, Muhammad Abdi Hashi, has been re-elected to the post of the vice-presidency in the administration of Col Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmad Puntland leader .
Thirty-nine Puntland regional MPs voted in favour of Mr Hashi, whose nomination, has in the past few days, sparked a lot of controversy. Despite having sharp differences with Col Yusuf, Mr Hashi's appointment was mostly due to pressure from his clan, the Dhulbahante.
Col Yusuf had for some times tried to convince the Dhulbahante clan to propose another person other than Mr Hashi for the post, a matter which had failed to materialize. The dispute between the two leaders has now died down following mediation by clan elders from both the Majerten Mr Yusuf's clan and the Dhulbahante.
Source: Ayaamaha, Mogadishu, in Somali 3 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 3, 2002
SOMALIA: BODY OF PROMINENT SOUTHERN POLITICIAN ARRIVES IN BAYDHABO FOR BURIAL
Thousands of people flocked to Baydhabo Baidoa, southcentral Somalia airstrip to receive the body of the late Abdiqadir Zoppe which was flown in from Rome today.
The body of the late Zoppe arrived at No 50 airstrip in Middle Shabelle Region at 10 a.m. local time and was received by a large delegation made up of religious leaders and politicians, led by the Speaker of the interim parliament, Abdalla Derow Isaq. A prayer session attended by more than 200 people was organized for the late Zoppe. Somali politicians such as former interim President Ali Mahdi Muhammad and faction leader Husayn Haji Bod were among those present.
The body was later flown to Baydhabo for the burial ceremony.
Source: HornAfrik Online text web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 2 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 3, 2002
SOMALIA: RRA FACTION REPORTEDLY SEIZES WEAPONS IN SOUTHWEST
Reports from the town of Baydhabo Baidoa, southcentral Somalia in Bay Region say militiamen loyal to the vice-chairman of the RRA Rahanwein Resistance Army , Shaykh Adan Madobe, who recently clashed with the RRA chairman Shatigadud, in Baidoa yesterday morning made off with a lot of weapons and ammunition from a military camp presumably belonging to the RRA militiamen loyal to Shatigadud in Waajid District southwestern Somalia .
The weapons were reportedly donated by the Ethiopian government to the RRA faction under the leadership of Col Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud. Sources close to Col Shatigadud say he has ordered that the weapons be returned to the camp.
There was no reaction from the militiamen who made off with the weapons.
Source: Radio HornAfrik, Mogadishu, in Somali 0500 gmt 3 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 3, 2002
UN SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES SOMALI POLITICIANS TO ATTEND NAIROBI TALKS
The UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, has urged Somali politicians wrangling over leadership to double their reconciliation efforts, and get ready to attend the forthcoming reconciliation talks scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya.
Mr Kofi Annan said it is high time for the Somali politicians to show confidence in the reconciliation process and bring about peace in Somalia. Mr Kofi Annan urged the Somali leaders to pity their country and people.
The UN secretary-general further urged the front-line states which include Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia to properly plan for the Somali reconciliation talks expected to be held in Nairobi in the coming months.
Mr Kofi Annan said the Somali people were in need of peace, and the UN was ready to take part in the reconstruction of Somalia.
Mr Annan's statement comes at a time when the Transitional Government of Somalia has appealed for international military intervention to disarm the Somali people...
Source: Holy Koran Radio, Mogadishu, in Somali 1700 gmt 2 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 2, 2002
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND LEADER REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING ESTABLISHING LINKS WITH ISRAEL
Puntland leader Col Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmad is said to have threatened to develop relations with the Israeli government if Arab countries do not respond to his demand positively.
According to reporter Abdirazzaq Shaykhdon , Col Yusuf made the remarks this week at a meeting with intellectuals and religious leaders from the Majerteen Mr Yusuf's clan at the Boosaaso presidential HQ.
Earlier, Mr Yusuf told Radio Ethiopia that he could not do without Arab countries and added he was planing to send them representatives.
Source: Ayaamaha, Mogadishu, in Somali 2 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 2, 2002
SOMALIA: DETAILS OF RADIO DMC AND RADIO MIDNIMO
Radio DMC
Radio DMC (Democratic Media Concern) is based in Baydhabo (alternative spelling: Baidoa), the capital of Bay region in south-central Somalia. It broadcasts on 88.8 MHz FM in the Somali and Rahanwein languages (the latter is sometimes referred to as Maay). The radio claims to be independent and not affiliated to any of the political factions in Somalia.
Baydhabo is currently controlled by the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), the faction which controls the Bay and Bakool regions and which is opposed to the Transitional National Government in Mogadishu.
Radio DMC is reportedly owned by local Somali businessmen and some in the diaspora.
Radio DMC is a separate station from the RRA-controlled Radio Baydhabo. This latter station used to be heard on shortwave (6810 kHz) but has been untraced on that channel for a while.
Radio DMC's daily programming includes news in Rahanwein at 1400 gmt and in Somali at 1700 gmt. The station closes down at 2000 gmt.
Radio Midnimo
Radio Midnimo (the Somali for Unity) broadcasts on FM from Boosaaso, the main port and commercial capital of the self-declared state of Puntland in northeast Somalia.
Boosaaso was captured by forces loyal to Col Abdullahi Yusuf in May 2002. It had previously been held by those loyal to Jama Ali Jama. Subsequently, Yusuf's authorities closed down another radio station in the town, Somali Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).
Radio Midnimo broadcasts news in Somali at 1030, 1300 and 1700 gmt. Close-down is at 1900 gmt.
Source: / BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 2, 2002
SOMALIA: YOUTHS STAGE DEMO, URGE POLITICIANS TO UNITE
A demonstration organized by the association of the youth for national reconstruction was staged in Mogadishu today.
The demonstration come at a time when the Somali people were celebrating the 42nd anniversary of their independence. The youths who were carrying placards in support of peace, unity, and denouncing the Ethiopian interference in the internal affairs of Somalia, matched through the streets of Mogadishu. Speaking to our reporter, Omar Shaykh Ahmad Sham, and some of the demonstrators said they were strongly opposed to anything that would sabotage the unity of Somalia.
The youths further urged Somali politicians to adopt a unified political stand to rescue the country and its people from the current political turmoil, and restore the sovereignty of Somalia.
Source: Holy Koran Radio, Mogadishu, in Somali 1700 gmt 1 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 2, 2002
SOMALIA: SUDANESE NATIONALS ARRESTED IN PUNTLAND
Police in Boosaaso Puntland, northeastern Somalia port city last night arrested two Sudanese nationals at a Boosaaso hotel where they were booked in. The two men came to Boosaaso to help Puntland secondary school leavers get university education in Sudan.
Reporters in Boosaaso say the two men were arrested at Al-Khalij Hotel in Boosaaso.
A police officer who was contacted by reporters said they were investigating the matter, and would release a report today stating why the two Sudanese nationals were arrested.
Source: Radio HornAfrik, Mogadishu, in Somali 0500 gmt 2 Jul 02 / BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 2, 2002
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SAYS MORE EFFORTS NEEDED TO RESOLVE SOMALI CONFLICT
Except of report by Somali newspaper Xog-Ogaal web site on 2 July
The president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, has said it is necessary that something is done over Somalia's political issue.
The president has directed his foreign minister to contact countries in charge of resolving the Somali conflict...
Source: Xog-Ogaal web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 2 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 2, 2002
SOMALIA: FACTION IN KISMAAYO SAID PREPARING FOR IMMINENT FIGHTING
The commander of the Jubba Valley Alliance, JVA pro-government militia force , which controls Kismaayo town, Mr Bare Hirale, yesterday drove through the town in a vehicle mounted with loud speakers, to announce an imminent fighting in the town. Mr Hirale urged the people supporting him to defend themselves against an army, which, he said, was approaching the town. However, the JVA's internal disputes, involving two clans, which make up the alliance, remains unresolved.
There is also a growing concern within the alliance, which has been fighting within itself, over rival forces that had at one time lost control of the town to the JVA, but is now seriously re-mobilizing.
Gen Sa'id Hirsi Morgan, who was interviewed last week by AllPuntland, said there was no doubt he was engaged in military mobilization with a view to recapturing Kismaayo town.
Source: AllPuntland.com web site in Somali 2 Jul 02/) BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 2, 2002
SOMALIA: FACTION LEADER BACKS CALLS FOR FOREIGN PEACEKEEPING TROOPS
The chairman of the USC-SNA United Somali Congress-Somali National Alliance , Usman Hasan Ali (Ato) has said efforts are under way to hold the Somali reconciliation talks in Kenya with the serious involvement of the international community.
"The international community should prepare forces to disarm the people and any resolution reached at the Nairobi talks should be implemented," said Mr Ato. He said the reconciliation process was too intricate to be left only to Kenya and the IGAD Inter-Governmental Authority on Development member countries.
Speaking to Qaran last night by telephone from Nairobi, Mr Ato said the call made recently by the interim government for foreign military intervention was unilateral and will not go far. "There will be no troops sent for the Arta group interim government alone. The issue is permissible only through the consensus of the Somali people."...
Mr Ato said there was need for foreign troops to disarm the Somali militiamen in order to rehabilitate them, adding that the matter should be resolved through consensus.
Source: Qaran, Mogadishu, in Somali 2 Jul 02 / BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, , July 2, 2002
SOMALIA: EIGHT REPORTED KILLED IN BAIDOA FIGHTING
Report from the town of Baydhabo alternative spelling Baidoa, south-central Somalia say fighting broke out in the town yesterday between militiamen loyal to Muhammad Nur Shatigadud and those opposed to him.
Both heavy and light weapons were used during the fighting. Eight people have been confirmed killed, five of them militiamen engaged in the fighting, while the rest were innocent civilians.
Mr Shatigadud's forces are reported to have the upper hand in the fighting and have managed to dislodge their rivals from their positions. The fighting died down by late evening yesterday following intervention by clan elders in the area.
Reports say the fighting is likely to resume again, with tension reported to be extremely high in the town.
Source: Ayaamaha, Mogadishu, in Somali 2 Jul 02
/ BBC Monitoring,
Middle East News Online: (IRIN) July 2, 2002
Nairobi - Fighting broke out in the town of Baidoa on Monday between different members of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) which controls the area, local sources told IRIN. "Serious fighting broke out at 8:00 a.m. 05:00 GMT local time this morning Monday and continued till 12:30 p.m. ," they said. Tension has been rising in the town as a result of a deepening split within the senior ranks of the RRA, which controls much of the Bay and Bakol regions of southwestern Somalia. The split originates from differences between the RRA chairman, Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, and his two deputies, Shaykh Adan Madobe and Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade, the sources said. The fighting started when forces loyal to Shaykh Adan and Habsade tried to forcibly take possession of the main police station, which is also the customs compound where taxes and customs duties are collected, from Shatigadud loyalists. "What happened today was a coup attempt by Adan Madobe and Habsade to overthrow the legitimate administration of the South West State of Somalia SWS ," one source said. The decision to establish the SWS was reached at a meeting of the RRA central committee and over 70 elders from the Digil and Mirifle clans in Baidoa in late March, with Shatigadud inaugurated on 31 March as president of the new regional administration for an initial four-year term. But both Shaykh Adan and Habsade were reportedly unhappy with the formation of the SWS, since they felt it had sidelined them. There were reportedly a number of casualties in the fighting, but "no exact figure", according to the sources. Among those killed were two religious leaders who died in cross-fire while attempting to stop the fighting. Meanwhile, Baidoa is said to be deserted, with all business activities completely shut down. "Everybody is taking cover, with very little activity on the streets," one source said. Both sides are said to be mobilising and calling in troops from outside the town "with the real possibility of renewed conflict at any time".
Middle East News Online: (IRIN) July 2, 2002
INTEGRATED REGIONAL INFORMATION NETWORK (IRIN): AFRICA MAINHEADLINES
Nairobi - The Transitional National Government (TNG) of Somalia has called for the deployment of foreign troops to disarm and demobilise armed militias, TNG Information Minister Abdirahman Ibbi told IRIN on Monday. The decision to call for foreign troops was reached on Saturday by the Council of Ministers, and was ratified by the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), on Sunday, he said. "The proliferation of weapons in the country has reached such proportions that the interim government cannot on its own manage to disarm the militias and collect the arms," he stated. "Somalia is asking for the same kind of assistance, in both military and financial terms, that countries with similar problems, such as Sierra Leone and Bosnia, received from the international community." According to Ibbi, the forces should come from "friendly countries with no political or military agenda in Somalia". They would help disarm the factions which had so far opposed the TNG, he said. The UN should not be afraid of deploying its forces in Somalia, because "Somalis will this time welcome and work with anyone who comes to remove weapons from their streets", he added. A UN peacekeeping mission in the early 1990s in the country had to be abandoned after a prominent warlord militarily challenged the UN force, leading to the deaths of many UN peacekeepers and Somalis. A motion to bring foreign troops, tabled in the TNA in August last year, failed after MPs sponsoring it failed to muster enough votes. A regional analyst told IRIN it was unlikely the UN Security Council would authorise intervention in the country. "There is insufficient interest or desire to intervene in Somalia at this stage," he said. He stressed that the interventions in Sierra Leone and Bosnia came about because a permanent member of the Security Council "showed sufficient interest to push for intervention. That level of interest does not exist in the case of Somalia". The call for foreign troops has already drawn strong criticism from the opposition, including Mogadishu-based faction leader, Muse Sudi Yalahow. "A self-appointed group TNG can't come up with such a call. Somalis can resolve their differences amicably," the French news agency, AFP, quoted him as saying.
Middle East News Online: (IRIN) July 2, 2002
INTEGRATED REGIONAL INFORMATION NETWORK (IRIN): AFRICA MAINHEADLINES
Nairobi - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged the various sides in Somalia not to let their differences prevent the attainment of a peace settlement. In a report to the Security Council on Monday, he noted that the regional peace effort for Somalia was currently at an impasse because of differences on how to proceed with national reconciliation. "Such differences will only complicate the already difficult task of peacemaking," Annan said in his report. He said the contending Somali groups and leaders were at risk of adopting "inflexible positions on national reconciliation so as to safeguard their interests and weaken the influence of those Somalis who want an end to violence and the restoration of peace in the country". He noted that a national reconciliation conference, due be held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in April, had not yet gone ahead. "The environment of apparent suspicion, both among regional countries and inside Somalia, needs to be defused urgently if a productive conference is to take place," he stressed. He also called for "consensus and coherence" among the three frontline states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) which is trying to broker a peace settlement. The three countries - Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya - have been trying to lay the groundwork for the conference, but disagreements between them have so far prevented this. "It is also clear that the IGAD frontline states and other neighbouring countries, as well as donors, must use their influence to encourage the Somali parties to take positive and reconciliatory steps towards establishing peace and security in their country," Annan added. Given the worsening situation in the country, he urged Somali leaders to refrain from military action. "It is the duty of leaders to lead, not to pursue narrow partisan advantage," Annan said.
Panafrican News Agency, July 2, 2002
EX-MINISTER WANTS DURBAN SUMMIT TO DISCUSS SOMALI CRISIS
BYLINE: Tom Osanjo, PANA Correspondent
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The immediate former deputy foreign minister in the Somali Transitional National Government, Mohammed Amin Osman is appealing to African heads of state to include the search for peace in Somalia on the agenda of their deliberations.
As several attempts aimed at having the TNG and the opposition Somalia Reconciliation and Rehabilitation Council (SRRC) achieve a lasting peace in the country had failed, Osman said it was time African leaders moved in to give Somalis the long evasive peace.
Osman, who resigned early this year in order to concentrate on peace and humanitarian affairs, suggested that states bordering war-torn Somalia could be assisted to maintain a peacekeeping force in that country. "We saw how ECOMOG moved into disturbed countries in West Africa and they managed to restore calm. If the African leaders can give the crucial support to the frontline states in moving in a peace keeping force then we can be sure of achieving peace in Somalia," he told PANA Tuesday in Nairobi.
Osman said disarmament was key to success for the peace initiative, which Kenya's President Daniel arap Moi started last year, though squabbles among Somali warlords have delayed the convening of its second session.
Osman's appeal re-echoes a recent call by TNG Prime Minister Hassan Abshir Farah, who urged the UN to send a peacekeeping mission to Somalia to help disarm the rival militias.
Abshir told a press conference last Sunday in Mogadishu that Somalia needs the kind of assistance the international community gave other war-afflicted countries like Afghanistan, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
He said no assistance could be provided to Somalia unless a full disarmament programme is conducted in the entire country as part of a reconstruction process.
Abshir said the international community, including the Arab League, the European Union and the United States must unite their efforts in support of the peace process in Somalia.
The fresh appeal comes at the time of worsening security in Somalia even as some of the leaders express optimism about the Nairobi peace talks scheduled for later this month.
Panafrican News Agency (PANA) Daily Newswire, July 2, 2002
SEVEN KILLED IN SOMALI'S REGIONAL CLASHES
Mogadishu, Somalia (PANA) - At least seven people were killed and seven others were injured following clashes Monday between rival factions within the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) who control the area, according to reports from Baidoa, the main town of Somalia's south-west region. The cause of the clashes could not be immediately established.
However, an elder in Baidoa, Sheik Mohamed Madnur, told PANA Tuesday that two elders and a businesswoman who were trying to mediate between the warring parties were also killed in the clashes which erupted after a disagreement over money collected from checkpoints.
Other reports said the fighting was caused by political rivalry between the warlord of the region, Hassan Mohamed Nur, and his two deputies.
BBC Monitoring, July 1, 2002
SOMALIA: FACTION LEADERS SAID OPPOSED TO GOVERNMENT'S FOREIGN INTERVENTION APPEAL
Faction leaders, Hilowle Iman Omar who is the current SRRC Somali Reconciliation and Reconstruction Council rotational chairman; Muse Sudi Yalahow, the USC/SAA/SRRC United Somali Congress/ expansion untraced chairman; and Muhammad Omar Habeb (Muhammad Dheere), the governor of Middle Shabeelle Region have reacted to Abdiqasim's Salad Hasan, interim president of Somalia appeal to the international community to send military contingents to disarm the Somali people.
In a news conference, the faction leaders said Abdiqasim's appeal has signalled the death of his administration, and such an appeal could not save its life. They said Abdiqasim's appeal for foreign intervention was meant to sabotage the forthcoming Nairobi peace talks.
The faction leaders urged the international community not to heed the Arta faction's appeal, which they termed as a personal initiative.
They further said they were strongly opposed to the idea of bringing foreign forces into the country, at the proposal of a specific faction. Warning the international community against such a move, the faction leaders said any such forces would be dealt with the same as UNISOM forces.
The faction leaders reiterated that the Arta faction were not representing the Somali people. They said they were strongly opposed to the Arta faction which they said they know as Abdiqasim's administration.
The faction leaders accused Abdiqasim's administration of sabotaging peace and stability in Somalia.
Source: AllPuntland.com web site in Somali 1 Jul 02
/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 1, 2002
SOMALIA: SOUTHERN FACTION REPORTEDLY MEETS TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES
A meeting to resolve the split that emerged within the high ranking officials of the RRA Rahanwein Resistance Army started in Baydhabo Baidoa, southwestern Somalia today. According to reports, the three-day meeting is being organized by RRA founders, clan elders and intellectuals. The meeting is expected to wind up on the burial day of the late Abdiqadir Zoppe former prominent southern politician .
The meeting which is being held in Habare District southwestern Somalia , has today gone into its second day.
Source: HornAfrik Online text web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 29 Jun 02/ BBC Monitoring,
BBC Monitoring, July 1, 2002
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND FACTION LEADER REPORTEDLY RECEIVES WEAPONS FROM INTERIM GOVERNMENT
Supporters of Jama Ali Jama Puntland faction leader in Puntland have reportedly received approximately 300 guns and ammunitions from Mogadishu.
It is not clear whether the weapons, donated by the Transitional Government of Somalia TGS , are part of the recent agreement reached between the TGS and Jama Ali Jama.
Source: Xog-Ogaal web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 1 Jul 02/ BBC Monitoring,
Panafrican News Agency, July 1, 2002
INTERIM SOMALI GOVERNMENT CRAVES UN INTERVENTION
Mogadishu, Somalia (PANA) - The Prime Minister of the Transitional National Government (TNG) of Hassan Abshir Farah has requested the UN Security Council to send a peace keeping force to disarm all Somali factions.
Speaking Sunday night at a press conference in Mogadishu, Abshir said Somalia needs the kind of assistance the international community gave other war-afflicted countries like Afghanistan, Liberia and Sierra Leone. He said no assistance could be provided to Somalia unless a full disarmament programme is conducted in the entire country as part of a reconstruction process.
The Prime Minister said the international community, including the Arab League, the European Union and the United States must unite their efforts in support of the peace process in Somalia.
Such support, he said, should be aimed at enhancing the capacity of the government to control the security of the country for the benefit of Somalis and as a way of promoting peace in the region.
He also called on the international community to stop other countries from meddling in the internal affairs of Somalia.
The Somali Prime Minister warned that if the UN fails to respond positively to his request, the situation could get worse both in Somalia and neighbouring countries.
This is the first time the TNG has called for international intervention since it came to power in August 2000.
A UN intervention led by American troops in 1995 degenerated into a bloody street battle in Mogadishu between the peace force and militiamen loyal to the late Somali warlord, Gen. Mohammed Farah Aidid.
The fighting led to the death of American troops and the subsequent pull-out of the force from the country, which has not had a central government since the deposition of President Siad Barre in 1991.