JEDDAH, 8 May — Somalia’s Presidential Adviser for Security Affairs Gen. Ali Ismail Muhammad said yesterday the transitional national government would soon appoint some of its opponents to higher positions in a bid to consolidate the peace and reconciliation process in the country.
Muhammad, on a visit to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News that the main challenge facing his administration was how to continue the policy of resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue with political leaders who boycotted last year’s national reconciliation conference sponsored by neighboring Djibouti.
“The government has been in touch with a number of its opponents. Therefore, we are confident at this stage and will work out well,” he said. The government is determined to overcome the internal resistance in order to restore peace in the country. There is no option but to press on until the new Somali administration consolidates peace and stability in whole country,” he said.
Speaking about security in the capital city, Muhammad said the government has so far taken some concrete steps toward asserting its control in the capital Mogadishu.
“Police and national army have been patched together, in addition to former militiamen who have been integrated into the new police force.
These forces have effectively succeeded in asserting control in Mogadishu and some foreign countries have already opened their embassies while others have indicated to do so,” he said.
