Somalis head for talks to avoid war

[ANWAR]

Cape Town - Somalia's embattled transitional government deserves the support of South Africa and others, says Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota.

 

He also ruled out unilateral SA military intervention in the chaotic east African nation.

 

Lekota was responding to Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon, who expressed deep concern at reports warning of a catastrophic humanitarian situation developing in Somalia.

 

Leon said: "There is every indication that a major confrontation is brewing between militia run by Islamic courts and troops loyal to the transitional government, and prospects of an invasion by neighbouring Ethiopia."

 

Somalis mistrust foreigners

 

While the DA welcomed the decision to lay the groundwork for a possible deployment of a peacekeeping mission to Somalia, two critical issues still needed to be resolved.

 

"Firstly, which side of the conflict has a legitimate right to support from outside forces. Secondly, given the deep mistrust the majority of Somalis have of foreigners, it still needs to be determined whether a foreign force would serve to heighten or lessen the conflict."

 

Leon said that the SA government should immediately announce what role if any, it intended to play in the troop deployment and how advanced the plans were to deploy an AU peacekeeping mission.

 

Colonial boundaries 'should be maintained'

 

Lekota said it was important to remember the historical context of Somalia. The country was one of the so-called "failed states" that resulted during the closing years of the cold war.

 

The AU's approach - and that of the Organisation for African Unity before it - was that colonial boundaries should be maintained.

 

If they were not, it could unleash "incredible conflicts everywhere in the continent".

 

Most of the warring parties had signed an agreement, which had produced the transitional government in Kenya.

 

The AU continued to support that effort, and therefore the return to Somalia of the transitional government, with the understanding that it would continue efforts to further unite and consolidate the nation of Somalia.

 

'Separatist position of Somaliland'

 

Lekota said that as had also been demonstrated in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, "there's always one or two elements that will not be attracted to the idea of peace".

 

This was the grouping which had declared a "separatist position of Somaliland".

 

The AU and SA supported the one Somalia, and therefore the transitional government "deserves our support".

 

Regarding allegations of an Ethiopian offensive, he said it might well be that media reports suggested an imminent attack, but "that's not correct".

 

He added: "Ethiopia is cautiously guarding its eastern borders, but there is no intention indicated anywhere... that Ethiopia is planning to attack Somalia."

 

In any event, as supporters of the transitional government, Ethiopia would be attacking the transitional government it was trying to help put into place.

 

Source: SAPA