JEDDAH, 26 September — Interim Somali Prime Minister Hassan Abshir Farah has praised Saudi Arabia’s willingness to support the reconciliation process, a Mogadishu radio station reported Tuesday. After a visit to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Gulf, the prime minister said Riyadh had made a commitment to see Somalia out of its troubles. While here, he had very fruitful discussions with Prince Abdullah, the regent, and other senior Saudi officials. Abshir said that the Yemeni government has nominated two officials “who will support us in reconstruction and rehabilitation programs”. They will attend the forthcoming Somali peace talks in Kenya as observers. In addition, the Yemeni government has also promised 40 scholarships to Somali expatriate children.
*****
On Tuesday, the USAID’s Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) noted that irregular livestock movements in northern Somalia might have serious food implications for the region’s pastoral community. This year’s rainy season from March to May led to large movements of livestock, FEWS reported. The resulting competition for scarce water, also resulted in an abnormal movement of animals within the plateau as well as to the Somali-inhabited region of eastern Ethiopia. Calving rates, milk production and livestock value have all been affected during the third consecutive year of below-average rainfall. Lack of access to boreholes is a growing problem, FEWS reported. The lack of water caused stress and reduced reproduction rates. Households in some parts of Sanaag region resorted to trucking water to their weakened animals.
FEWS warned, “In the short-term, there will be a reduction of milk at the household level, leading to malnutrition especially among mothers and children. In the long-term, herd sizes will be reduced which will put strain on the environment as pastoral tribesmen who have lost major livestock assets turn to other methods of survival such as charcoal burning. One of the consequences will be the intensification of environmental degradation and high poverty levels.”
*****
Weekend reports from southern Somalia said that an unspecified number of Ethiopian military officers had arrived in southwestern town of Baidoa. The Ethiopian officers held talks with the chairman of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) Hasan Muhammad Shatigadud.
RRA Officials have declined to comment on the visit or the issues that were discussed. Some sources, however, said that Ethiopian’s main objective was to mediate between Shatigadud and his deputy, Sheikh Adan Madobe. At the same time, according to reports from Mogadishu, Ethiopian troops crossed into central Somalia, occupied a village and abducted 12 clan elders. The residents of the area told newsmen that four Ethiopian Army trucks with 100 soldiers entered the Galgadud region and sealed off all roads leading out. The troops took the elders back to Ethiopia after confiscating radio equipment and assault rifles. Addis Ababa made no comment. The Ethiopian government has good relations with a number of Somali warlords opposed to the Transitional National Government (TNG). (Compiled by Salad F. Duhul)
