MOGADISHU, 24 March 2005 — Warlords controlling Somalia’s bullet-scarred capital of Mogadishu said they would introduce a no-confidence motion against President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed in Parliament and seek his removal for allegedly violating the lawless country’s transitional charter.
Somalia’s Public Works Minister Osman Hassan Atto vowed that Mogadishu’s warlords would organize to impeach Yusuf.
Atto, who is also one of Mogadishu’s powerful warlords, was quoted by local radio as saying that warlords would move a no-confidence motion against the president in the Parliament and press for his resignation.
“Mogadishu’s faction leaders, who are currently ministers, have good relations with other parliamentarians. We have met with other MPs and have decided to pursue impeachment of the president. The president has violated the transitional charter for the government’s relocation to Somalia. The president wants to relocate the government to the towns of Jowhar and Baidoa instead of the capital Mogadishu,” said Atto.
Several deadlines to relocate the government from Kenya to Somalia have passed. Last week, two years into the latest effort, Somali Parliament members based in Kenya punched and smashed chairs and walking sticks into one another during a row over whether foreign peacekeepers should be deployed in their country.
Somali parliamentarians voted last week against government’s call for peacekeepers from neighboring countries to help disarm the country’s militiamen.
Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Geedi’s Cabinet has proposed about 7,500 African Union and Arab League troops to help the government return home from Kenya. Most of the country’s warlords, who are currently ministers, have rejected the deployment of peacekeepers from neighboring states — especially from traditional rival Ethiopia.
”Mogadishu’s faction leaders have recently signed an agreement to stabilize the capital, Mogadishu. They have committed themselves to setting up a regional administration of the capital city, to make special camps for their militiamen and to improving the security of the city. I hope the leaders will work hard. Therefore, there is no need to change the capital city for security proposes, ” said Atto.
Yusuf initially demanded a force of 20,000 international peacekeepers, leading to speculation that he was so concerned about the government’s weakness that he wanted a massive protection force, or that he wanted to use it to protect himself from his rivals.
He also called for neighboring countries’ troops to be part of the force despite deep opposition, especially to troops from Ethiopia, which is accused of arming some of the Somali factions. The issue has sparked demonstrations in Mogadishu on three occasions.
The United States and the International Crisis Group have opposed the inclusion of troops from neighboring countries as too divisive. Nations promoting the peace process are urging a force of 6,800 that would exclude troops from neighboring countries.
