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| Africa: East |
| Somalia’s warlords make peace |
| 2004-01-29 |
| I’d call it more of a pause, but that’s just me. EFL: Somalia’s main warlords and politicians have signed an agreement to establish a new national parliament that in turn will elect a president. The deal paves the way for the setting up of the first recognised national government in Somalia for 13 years. Since the fall of President Siad Barre, Somalia has had no central authority and been wracked by civil war with rival factions battling each other. We all saw the movie. Correspondents say the international community has been putting pressure on the Somali faction leaders to agree a peace deal and this now seems to have borne fruit after more than a year of discussions. The new parliament will be made up of 275 members, rather than 350 as previously agreed and traditional elders will be involved in selecting them, as well as warlords, reports say. Guess who’ll have more say. The idea is that each of the four major clans will select 61 MPs and a coalition of small clans will select 31. The task of selecting who will become an MP is left to each group, but this could be a lengthy and contentious process. A MP will be whoever has more AKs. Kenyan Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka says he hopes there could be a functional government in Somalia within a month. I’m hoping to win the lotto, I like my odds better. Once a parliament is eventually formed, then it chooses a president who in turn will nominate a prime minister to form a government. Which the losers will attempt to overthrow. Last week, mediators warned that tension between the self declared republic of Somaliland the autonomous region of Puntland could threaten the talks. Oh, them. Somaliland’s leaders are the one group which is not party to the latest agreement. No problem, they only make up one third of what used to be Somalia. There has also been an upsurge in fighting in recent weeks in central Somalia. How can you tell? |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #2 I would like to see Puntland and Somaliland stay autonomous. The whole of Somalia is too big a stable to muck. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-1-29 1:05:01 PM |
| #1 How can you tell? They don't break for lunch or Qhat |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-1-29 9:51:46 AM |