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Africa Horn | ||
‘Warring militia’ to return to Kismayo under new Jubaland deal | ||
2013-10-26 | ||
KISMAYO, Somalia -- A new deal brokered during talks between Somali Federal Government (SFG) delegation led by Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled and Jubaland president Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) aims to “return” a warring militia that previously fought against Jubaland government forces in Kismayo last June, Garowe Online reports.
Jubaland’s leader Ahmed Madobe told reporters on Monday that Jubaland administration will attend the proposed reconciliation conference in Mogadishu and noted that Jubaland has accepted the return of militia loyal to ex-warlord Col. Barre Hirale, who fought pitched battles during three days in June in Kismayo, leading to more than 100 deaths and hundreds others wounded. On Tueday, Mr. Madobe received an European Union delegation led by EU Special Envoy to Somalia Michele Cervone in Kismayo, and called on international agencies to "come to Kismayo like the EU delegation" to provide humanitarian support to local communities. Hirale’s militia was militarily expelled from Kismayo and Federal Government officials, who are accused of using Hirale as proxy, are campaigning to return the militia back to Kismayo. Speaking on BBC Somali Service, Mr. Abdigani Abdi Jama, an adviser to Jubaland president Ahmed Madobe, said that Hirale’s militia “will surrender and will be retrained at camps” under the new agreement.
Answering a question about Hirale’s future, Mr. Jama indicated that it is a “possibility” that Jubaland administration will provide a safe passage for Hirale to fly from Kismayo airport to Mogadishu, at the request and facilitation of Federal Government in Mogadishu. | ||
Posted by:Steve White |