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| Africa: Horn |
| UN envoy seeks to break Somali 'political impasse' |
| 2005-08-04 |
| On today's episode of "The Blind Leading the Blind"... MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A top United Nations envoy said on Wednesday the 14th attempt to reinstate government in lawless Somalia in as many years had hit a "political impasse" due to a deep rift within the fledgling administration. Damn! And they were so close I'll bet! "After finishing these meetings, I can say there are clearly many differences among the members of the Somali federal institutions," the U.N. special representative to Somalia, Francois Fall, said in the capital Mogadishu. Wow. You can tell he's a smart guy. He was speaking after meetings on Monday and Wednesday with both factions in the new Somali government -- one based in Mogadishu, the other in the nearby town of Jowhar."It seems like there's a political impasse we are facing now," Fall told reporters before leaving Somalia. Wow. You can tell he's a smart guy. On Wednesday, Fall met powerful ministers and warlords Mohamed Qanyare, Muse Sudi Yalahow and Osman Ali Ato and parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan in Mogadishu. He presented a roadmap to start dialogue on the problems of reconciliation, relocation of the government, the creation of a security force and the presence of foreign peacekeepers. Oh good. A roadmap. Gotta have that. They work so well. Fall presented the same proposals to President Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi on Monday at their temporary base in Jowhar, 90 km (55 miles) north of Mogadishu. Gedi and Yusuf say that Mogadishu must be pacified before they can return there. See ya in about 3005, boys... But the faction led by Internal Security Minister Qanyare says Mogadishu is safe and must be the capital straightaway under a transitional constitution guiding the peace process. "The security situation is ... good and the U.N. delegation will go anywhere in Mogadishu and its surrounding areas," Qanyare told local radio before Fall's arrival. Yes, yes. Call my travel agent about those Mogadishu vacation packages. ARMS EMBARGO The rift has sparked warlike rhetoric and increasing military preparations by both sides in recent weeks. Really? In Somalia? Can ya beat that... The new administration was formed last year in the relative security of neighboring Kenya. Fractious militias have been the only real authority in the Horn of Africa nation since warlords ousted military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Fall said both factions in Jowhar and Mogadishu had responded positively to his proposals. Sure, buddy. How much money do we get? "We accept and welcome his initiative," speaker Hassan told Reuters in Mogadishu. "We want dialogue and we are ready to reconcile in order to end the problems that exist so that our people can enjoy peace and stability." Hey, ya got a roadmap now. Should be only a matter of time... The U.N. wants the issues of relocation, reconciliation and security solved before it considers lifting a 1992 arms embargo. Which has really worked out well. That embargo, though completely ineffective in stopping the flood of arms into Somalia, is preventing foreign peacekeepers from bringing heavy weapons into the country. See. Earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council refused an African Union (AU) request to modify the embargo to enable AU peacekeepers to enter the country with their weapons. That was on yesterday's episode of "The Blind Leading the Blind". A delegation led by AU envoy to Somalia Mohamed Ali Faum arrived in Jowhar on Tuesday to set up an Africa Union office there, Abdurahman Dinari, the prime minister's spokesman said. Who did Francois piss off to end up as the UN envoy to Somalia? |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #2 Wow, tu goes OldSkool Rb. Seems like the lerned elders of RB are picking it up a notch today, or maybe it's the mushrooms, who knows, I'll let you know, the lawn has scheduled a press conference at 1:30. Raking news maybe. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-08-04 12:51 |
| #1 Gee, they should have thought of this 10 years ago. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2005-08-04 11:23 |