Somalia’s interim President Abdi Kassim Salad Hassan on Sunday publicly condemned Ethiopian policy toward his country. He was speaking to thousands of Somalis in Mogadishu’s main soccer stadium protesting Ethiopian interference in Somalia. According to radio HornAfrik, Hassan said Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was engaging in destablizing Somalia by supporting its armed forces. "Several Arab and African countries have urged Ethiopia to be neutral in Somalia’s internal affairs. Ethiopia has defied those calls and continued to interfere in our affairs," he said. The Ethiopian government has repeatedly said that Somalia-based extremists (Al-Ittihad Al-Islamia) have been working to destabilize Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, however, has good relations with Somalia’s main warlords. The warlords still control most of Somalia, its territory and resources.
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The UN Security Council has proposed setting up a panel of experts to investigate violations of the arms embargo on Somalia. According to a UN humanitarian publication, the council expressed concern over the "continued flow of weapons and ammunition" to Somalia, and said the proposed panel should look into violations of the embargo by land, air and sea, conduct research in Somalia and other states, and assess the capacity of regional states to implement the embargo fully. It also called for setting up a two-member team within a month. The team would then spend 30 days preparing a plan of action to be implemented. The panel would also probe ways of strengthening the embargo which was established by a UN resolution in 1992.
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On Sunday the Arab League announced that its newly appointed special envoy to Somalia would travel there to explore reconciliation. "The envoy, Omani diplomat Salem Bin Al-Khusaibi, will immediately undertake an urgent mission to Somalia... with the aim of coordinating measures needed for achieving reconciliation and stability," said the Arab League statement. Al-Khusaibi will contact all Somali parties "in coordination" with the Mogadishu-based Transitional National Government (TNG) as well as other parties in neighboring countries. (Compiled by Salad F. Duhul)
