POLITICS-SOMALIA: Somalis Unhappy Over Venue Of Peace Talks

By Moyiga Nduru Reprint | | Print |

Moyiga Nduru

NAIROBI, Dec 10 1997 (IPS) - A decision by Somalia’s factions to hold their next peace talks in the Somali town of Baidoa will put the lives of foreign observers and journalists at risk unless a neutral force is deployed to guarantee their safety and that of the delegates, say a group of Somali exiles.

The group, known as the ‘Somali Forum For Peacemaking it a less- than-ideal venue for a reconciliation conference.

The cones, is to elect a president for the war-ravaged country which has been without a government since 1991. Its date has not yet been fixed.

Baidoa is located some 120 kilometres southwesar zone. Nobody can be safe there,” Hussein Sayid Suliman, Executive Secretarce and Good Governance, told IPS here on Wednesday. “The entire region is also a victim of the devastating floods currently raging in the southern regions,” added Suliman, whose Forum was formed here as a pressure group on Nov 1concerned.”

He said his group would prefer the deployment o protect the delegates in Baidoa. IGAD (the Inter-Governmental Authority on i, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

The decision to opt for Baidoa, which form of a future government, to be called the Council of Presidency. It will comprise 13 members President and the Prime Minister.

He said the that civil society such as women groups and community as well as religious leaders from all ov certainly not be seen to be truly representative of the silent majority.”

Somalia collapsed into the anarchy of clan-baissidents, led by, among others, the late Gen. Mohamed Farah Aideed.

In the chaos that ef President of Somalia in June 1995. He appointed a government, announced a budges. Only Libya recognised him.

He was resisted by the other warlords, not leashe country, other clan-based fiefdoms have emerged while the north-western region, known as Somaliland, proclaimed itself independent in 1991.

At Aidehese obstacles. We must find a solution this time,” he told the meeting in Cairo.

He said the time fo leaders not to miss the opportunity for peace.

“I strongly urge you to seize the moment and specially that the leaders of the major Somali factions are repreenawi in Sodere, Ethiopia, and later in Bossasso, Somalia in the past six months and a peace confereTXACK ssasso, Somalia in the past six months and a peace co