SOO MAAL Posted May 12, 2005 Somali parliament defies warlords Somalia's exiled parliament has voted in favour of two measures strongly opposed by key warlords, leading to a deep rift in the interim government. Those MPs present supported calls for a regional peacekeeping force and to relocate to two Somali towns, but not the lawless capital, Mogadishu. The vote was boycotted by MPs loyal to the Mogadishu-based warlords, who this week said their forces would unite. Somalia has been wracked by violence and anarchy for 14 years. The BBC's Caroline Karobia in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where Somalia's parliament is based, said the MPs erupted in jubilation when the results of the vote were announced. The Somali reconciliation process is at a critical stage US, EU statement Of the 152 MPs present, 145 voted in favour of setting up in Baidoa and Jowhar until Mogadishu is considered safe. There were seven abstentions. A similar vote in March was declared null and void after MPs fought in parliament - but parliamentary speaker Sherif Hassan has said this vote was also unconstitutional because he did not call the meeting. More than 100 members of the 275-strong parliament are in Somalia, including the warlords who control the capital, and have refused calls to return to Kenya. Fears In Washington, the US and the European Union released a joint statement voicing their concern at the lack of progress. "The Somali reconciliation process is at a critical stage. There is an urgent need for a viable agreement on relocation and security," it said. Foreign donors, who have bankrolled the long peace talks, are pressing the transitional government to relocate to Somalia. The African Union is to meet on Thursday to consider the foreign troop deployment. The session will examine a proposal to send 1,700 Sudanese and Ugandan troops to ensure the security of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. But the issue of foreign troops is controversial. Ethiopia President Yusuf is seen as an ally of Ethiopia but he has little support in Mogadishu. Many Somalis do not trust Ethiopia, since a war in the 1970s. The Mogadishu warlords accused Ethiopia of sending weapons into Somalia - a charge Ethiopia denied. Since his election last October, he has called for an African Union protection force before he can lead his government back to Mogadishu. The regional body, Igad, has agreed to send troops but a lack of finance and security fears have led to delays. Mogadishu warlords Mohammed Qanyare Affra, Osman Ali Atto and Muse Sudi Yalahow, who have spent years fighting each, said that they would this week start withdrawing their forces from the capital and setting up a single militia force. They say this will restore security in Mogadishu but some government officials fear that the force could be used against them, if relations continue to deteriorate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SOO MAAL Posted May 12, 2005 Somali parliament abandons Mogadishu By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Published May 12, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Somalia's exiled Parliament voted Thursday to return from Kenya and set up not in the lawless capital of Mogadishu, but two other relatively stable cities. Of 152 members of Parliament present, 145 voted in favor of setting up in Baidoa and Jowhar until Mogadishu is considered safe. However, more than 100 members of the 275-member Parliament remain in Somalia, refusing to join the exiles or recognize the latest votes. They include the warlords who now control the capital. Somalis in Nairobi also voted to create a regional peacekeeping force in Somalia, which has been wracked by warlord-led violence for the past 14 years. The African Union is meeting to consider a proposal to send 1,700 Sudanese and Ugandan troops to ensure the security of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. Earlier this week, three Mogadishu warlords said they would start withdrawing their forces from the capital and set up a unified militia. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SOO MAAL Posted May 12, 2005 Somali lawmakers approve government's relocation planNAIROBI, May 11, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The Somali transitional government fought and won two crucial political battles in parliament Wednesday, clearing major obstacles to its plan to relocate and welcome African Union (AU) troops to Mogadishu later this month. President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed breathed a sigh of relief after Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi lobbied parliament to approve the government's plan to relocate to two smaller towns Baidoa and Johwar as the AU troops pacify the bullet-riddled capital Mogadishu. The Somali parliament voted 145-7 to allow the deployment of AU troops drawn from Sudan and Uganda for the first phase of the peacekeeping mission in Somalia. A total of 152 lawmakers turned up for the crucial vote. About 50 lawmakers from the 275-member parliament are now in Mogadishu while the others did not attend the meeting. According to Somalia's transitional constitution, major government decisions must be ratified by parliament. The Somali interim government has been deadlocked in a dispute over peacekeeping troops. Many Somalis, including influential warlords, have promised to attack any troops from neighboring states -- especially from traditional rival Ethiopia -- if they deploy as part of a planned AU peacekeeping force. However, President Yusuf wants 7,500 AU and Arab League troops to help his government return home from Kenya, and has been adamant that border states be included. Somali officials said after the vote in parliament, Prime Minister Gedi is going to the AU Peace and Security Council meeting on Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and he will tell the meeting that troops have been approved to go to Somalia by the parliament. The AU Peace and Security council will give the mandate to the AU peacekeeping force. Somalia has been without a functioning government since 1991, when the administration of Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled. The new transitional government was formed in Kenya last year, but has so far been unable to move back to Somalia because of security considerations. It is, however, under increasing pressure from the Kenyan government and western diplomats to establish itself in Somalia. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
General Duke Posted May 12, 2005 Africa backs Somali peace force Thousands of gunmen still operate in Mogadishu The African Union has approved a controversial move to send peacekeepers to Somalia - which has split the exiled government. But the AU said they do not yet have the $10m funds needed and troops will only deploy when it is safe. President Abdullahi Yusuf wants peacekeepers but the warlords who control the capital oppose them. The rift between the two sides widened after the exiled parliament backed Mr Yusuf in a vote boycotted by 100 MPs. Somalia has been wracked by violence and anarchy for 14 years. The AU said the force will protect the government wherever it is based, help safeguard humanitarian aid and train a new security force. It will be composed of 1,700 Sudanese and Ugandan troops after plans to include Ethiopian soldiers were dropped. Relocation The MPs in Kenya approved the idea of relocating to Baidoa and Jowhar until the capital, Mogadishu, is considered safe enough to host a government. But this idea is also strongly opposed by the Mogadishu warlords, who have all been given posts in Mr Yusuf's cabinet. The Somali reconciliation process is at a critical stage US, EU statement Somali peace under threat A similar vote in March was declared null and void after MPs fought in parliament - but parliamentary speaker Sherif Hassan has said the latest vote was also unconstitutional because he did not call the meeting. More than 100 members of the 275-strong parliament are in Somalia, including the warlords who control the capital, and have refused calls to return to Kenya. Warlords unite In Washington, the United States and the European Union released a joint statement voicing their concern at the lack of progress. "The Somali reconciliation process is at a critical stage. There is an urgent need for a viable agreement on relocation and security," it said. Facts and figures about life in Somalia At-a-glance BBC Somali section editor Yusuf Garaad Omar says the government could end up relocating to different towns, formalising the split. Foreign donors, who have bankrolled the long peace talks, are pressing the transitional government to relocate to Somalia. Mogadishu warlords Mohammed Qanyare Affra, Osman Ali Atto and Muse Sudi Yalahow, who have spent years fighting each, said that they would this week start withdrawing their forces from the capital and setting up a single militia force. They say this will restore security in Mogadishu and remove the need for peacekeepers. But some government officials fear that the force could be used against them, if relations continue to deteriorate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
