JEDDAH, 3 October — Western countries have urged the international community to support Somalia’s peace talks this month, said media reports from Nairobi on Monday. The East African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is organizing the talks, which are expected to be financed by a number of Western states and the Arab League.
Western diplomats told reporters that the talks would be a good opportunity to end Somalia’s 11 years of anarchy. One diplomat said, "There must be a tangible and permanent solution for the Somali problem at the meeting. The process of pacifying Somalia should be Somali-controlled, but should be guided by IGAD with other international community members playing an active observer role."
A US diplomat said that his country had paid attention to Somalia to ensure that the country did not become a terrorist haven. He pointed out that Washington would not try to control Somalia’s peace process.
At the same time, the UN Security Council has called on Somalis to participate constructively in the forthcoming national reconciliation conference.
Some warlords have expressed deep concern about the neutrality of the members of IGAD technical committee, Mogadishu’s Hornafrik Radio reported on Monday.
The warlords said that Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti had appointed five representatives of Somali origin to the technical committee. The three countries will monitor the peace process, draw up the terms of reference for the forthcoming peace talks and determine the criteria for participation. Large numbers of Somalis are iin Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti.
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Somalia’s information minister, Abdirahman Adan Ibbi, said yesterday that the interim president, Abdiqassim Salad Hassan, has declined to sign a controversial media law passed by the Transitional National Assembly (TNA). Most print and broadcast journalists went on strike to express their dissatisfaction with the law. The so-called Press Law restricting the activities of the press was passed three days ago
Ibbi said the law would most likely be sent back to parliament and modified to reflect journalistic concerns. "The president has asked that amendments requested by the journalists be made. The president has set up a committee of lawyers, journalists and senior officials to meet the journalists and address their grievances. The committee will meet with the journalists’ representatives on Thursday," he told a UN humanitarian publication.
It was reported that Mogadishu’s seven radio stations were off the air yesterday and none of the six daily papers were published.
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On Tuesday Radio Banadir reported that the Chairman of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), Hassan Muhammad Shatigudud, had imposed a curfew on the southwestern town of Baidoa. The curfew begins at 8:00 pm local time and lasts until dawn. The curfew was justified by claims of an attack in the town on Monday by suspected supporters of Shatigadud’s two former deputies.
Three people were killed and tension was high on Tuesday because of fears of fresh fighting. There are reports that the rival alliance has regrouped and is now planning to attack the town. Shatigadud’s militias drove those of his rivals out of Baidoa and seized control of the town.
