SOMALIA-UN: INDIAN TROOPS PREPARE PULL OUT

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

CHARLES WACHIRA

NAIROBI, Nov 16 1994 (IPS) - INDIAN UN PEACE-KEEPING TROOPS WILL LEAVE TWO MAJOR SOMALI CITIES BY THE END OF THE MONTH IN A PRELUDE TO A FULL UN MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COUNTRY BY THE END OF MARCH.

THE PULL OUT OF 4,000 INDIAN SOLDIERS FROM KISMAYO IN THE SOUTH AND BAIDOA IN THE CENTRE HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED, BUT IS MENTIONED IN A RECENT DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS TO RELIEF AGENCIES.

ITS OPERATION AND CONSEQUENCES WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED BY OFFICIALS ORGANISING THE FULL WITHDRAWAL OF SOME 15,000 UN PEACE- KEEPERS.

UN PERSONNEL FEAR THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF UN CONTINGENTS, SOMALIA’S WARRING CLANS WILL ONCE AGAIN FIGHT AMONG THEMSELVES TO WIN POLITICAL CONTROL OF THE DEVASTATED COUNTRY.

THERE IS ALSO CONCERN THAT THE ARMED FACTIONS WILL TRY TO ROB DEPARTING UN TROOPS OF THEIR EQUIPMENT, AND US MARINES ARE PLANNED TO COVER THE RETREAT.

THE UNITED NATIONS HAS ALREADY ADVISED FOREIGNERS IN ITS OWN HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES AS WELL AS THOSE WORKING WITH NON- GOVERNMENTAL BODIES IN KISMAYO AND BAIDOA TO LEAVE ALONG WITH THE INDIAN TROOPS.

BAIDOA, IN A REGION THAT WAS THE COUNTRY’S BREAD BASKET, WAS HARD HIT BY THE 1992 CONFLICT-RELATED FAMINE WHICH PROMPTED INTERNATIONAL MILITARY INTERVENTION LED BY THE UNITED STATES TO GUARD RELIEF CONVOYS.

AUSTRALIAN AND THEN U.S. TROOPS WERE DEPLOYED IN BAIDOA AS PART OF OPERATION RESTORE HOPE. FRENCH TROOPS CAME IN MAY 1993, AND WERE THEMSELVES REPLACED BY THE INDIANS 11 MONTHS LATER.

IN THE SOUTH, THE PORT OF KISMAYO WAS A COVETED PRIZE DURING SOMALIA’S CIVIL STRIFE.

IN 1991 AND 1992 THE CITY WAS THE SCENE OF VIOLENT CLASHES BETWEEN PARTISANS OF GEN MOHAMED SAID HERSI, THE SON-IN-LAW OF OUSTED DICTATOR MOHAMED SIAD BARRE, AND OMAR JESS, AN ALLY OF SOMALIA’S MOST POWERFUL WARLORD, GEN MOHAMED FARAH AIDID.

US AND BELGIAN TROOPS WERE INITIALLY ASSIGNED TO MAINTAIN ORDER IN KISMAYO UNTIL INDIAN UNITS ARRIVED IN DECEMBER 1993.

WITH FEW INDICATIONS THAT A POLITICAL AGREEMENT CAN BE THRASHED OUT BETWEEN SOMALIA’S FACTIONS, THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL HAS VOTED TO PULL OUT ITS TROOPS BY MAR. 31.