![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() New Somali prime minister visits Italy
December 17, 2000
Web posted at: 2:27 PM EST (1927 GMT)
ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Khalif Galaid arrived in Rome with a delegation of ministers and businessmen on Sunday on a three-day visit in Italy.
Ali Khalif was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ismail Mahamud Hure, Interior Minister Dahir Sheikh Mohamed, the finance and reconstruction ministers and a group of deputies and businessmen.
Ali Khalif, who was named prime minister by President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan in October, will meet Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rino Serri on Monday.
On Tuesday, he is due to meet the foreign affairs committees of Italy's upper and lower houses of parliament. He will fly back to Mogadishu on Wednesday.
President Abdiqassim Salad was elected by a parliament-in-exile in neighboring Djibouti in late August. The country had not had a central government since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.
In what could be an important step for the peace process in
Somalia, one of the faction leaders opposed to the new
administration of President Abdulkassim Salat Hassan,
has now declared his support for it.
This is a significant step towards reconciliation
President Abdulkassim
At a ceremony in the capital, Mogadishu, Hossein Haji Bod signed
an agreement that his faction would back the new government.
He said he wanted to work for reconciliation among all Somalis.
"I took the decision after I considered the difficulties our people a
re facing," he said.
He denied that he had accepted a government post or money and
said he was now going to put his armed vehicles and militiamen
behind the government.
"I have to lend my moral and material support to the administration,
because I have renounced my previous position for the sake of the Somali people," Mr Bod said.
Correspondents say that the decision could be a significant move
towards internal political reconciliation.
Security
Until recently Mr Bod was aligned with Hossein Aideed and
other militia leaders strongly opposed to the peace process that
emerged from the Djibouti peace conference earlier this year.
His stronghold is north Mogadishu and he is a former deputy to
Ali Mahdi Mohammed, who is now a member of the 245-strong assembly .
President Abdulkassim expressed his happiness at Mr Bod's
decision saying that the government now considered him "a
Somali elder working for peace and reconciliation.".
"This is a significant step towards reconciliation," he said.
The government has pledged to disarm the militia and their
warlords, who have split the country into ruling fiefdoms.
Thousands of gunmen have joined up to provide security
or the new administration in Mogadishu.
But there have been attacks on prominent supporters of the peace
process in recent weeks.
And the faction leaders have ordered their fighters not to join the
government's new forces.
Only two days ago five Mogadishu faction leaders opposed to the
new government met but failed to reach an agreement on forming
a stronger alliance that could have threatened the existence of the
government.
Hero's welcome for Somali president
BaydhaboSomalia's new President Abdulkassim Salat Hassan, has arrived in
Mogadishu to a hero's welcome and tight security.
Mr Salat who is his country's only elected
president in a decade arrived with his
newly-appointed prime minister, Ali Khalif Galayadh, and
members of his transitional
government.
He was appointed by a number of clan elders and other senior figures
at aspecial conference in Djibouti in August with the help of East African
leaders, but not all the warring Somali factions accept him as a legitimate choice.
A convoy of about 100 vehicles carrying Mr Salat and his entourage
drove through the streets of north
Mogadishu and included 1,000 heavily-armed security guards.
Hero's welcome
The president was welcomed at a military airstrip just outside the capital
and was treated to a national anthem and a red carpet.
Children climbed trees and lined the streets as women dressed in
traditional clothes sang his welcome.
![]() Nr 4Others lined the streets waving flags and flowers to welcome the ne
w president.
Mr Salat's motorcade raced through the streets of north Mogadishu
to hotel Ramadan which will be his temporary home.
One enthusiastic teenager, 14-year-old, Abdallah Issaq summed up
what the war-torn country needed.
"We need a president and security. There is no education.
We need schools," he said as he waved a flag to welcome the president.
Estimates say up to a million people have been
killed in a civil war among the divided clans of Somalia.
Future challenges
After several failed peace conferences Somalia's
245 member parliament elected Mr Salat at a specially
convened conference in Djibouti.
Prime Minister Ali Khalif Galayadh has promised to announce
his cabinet in a few days.
Speaking to journalists before arriving with the president in
Mogadishu, he admitted that he faced a daunting challenge.
"I think we have a handle on the issue of security. There may
be some freelance elements, or one or two hotheads, but as
far as we can tell there is no organised resistance," he said.
Most of the clans from the north of the country say they will
not recognise the government.
The BBC's East Africa correspondent, Cathy Jenkins, says
after decades of rule, most warlords don't want to give up their power.
![]() By Alice Muthengi in Nairobi
SOOMAALIYA SOMALIA
Dagaalki sokeeye ee Soomaaliya dhibaata walba dad ha gaarsiiyee haddii lagu waana qaadanaayo qabyaalad khasaarooyinka lagala kulmaayo iyo faa'iidadarradeeda
waa la arkay run kalena weey soo baxday.
Waa la ogaaday sida fudud uu Qaran u burburikaro, hanti loo soo dhibtooday nolol is qabto meel cidla ah laga soo istaagi karo, laguu dili karo reer hebel ayaad tahay adigoo wax dambi ah galin iyo in la isu baahanyahay oo dagaal walboo jiro la isu gudbaayo inkastoo dariiqa la isku sii furankaro ama naf lagu waayi karo.
Arrinta uugu sii daran waa qalad aan is dhihi jiray goormaa la qirandoonaa, dadkaan soomaaliyeed dambiga laga galaayana la joojin doonaa.
Waxaan aragnay in wadammada reer galbeedka ah ee la weeydiisto magangalyada siyaasadeed marki ay gobollo Soomaaliyeed oo badan ay ku tilmaameen in ay xasilooni ka jirto qofki ka yimidna loo celinaayo si degganaasho looga helo dad badan oo qabiil kasta leh sheekteen in ay u dhasheen qabiil Soomaaliya laga yiraahdo nasab dhiman oo xuquuq walba laga xaqiro cilmi kasta iyo maal kasta ha lahaadaane.
Dad Muslim ah, leh Sheekh, Shariif , cilmi, qurux, asluub iyo dhaqanba leh dadki GUN ku sheegay maantana xaqdarradeey galeen qiranaayaan in ay qalad tahay dhuunina ku dooneen, garoomada aduunkana ha la iigu gargaaro gacmaha u hoorsaday GOB iyo GUN wax la dhahaa jira ma dhihi karaan ?
SOOMAALIYEEY MAA LAGU WAANA QAATO QABIIL WUXUU YAHAY.
Xafiiskani, waa qayb kamid ah xafiiska Ra’isul Wasaaraha oo ay madax ka tahay wasiiru dowlaha dhinica Jaaliyadaha Marwo: Khadiija Ossoble Ali oo aad kala soo xiriiri kartid emailka iyo telefankan:
Tel. 252 1 218971
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