Main Faction Leader Calls for
Reconciliation among Somalis
MOGADISHU (Feb. 18) XINHUA - Main faction leader Ali Mahdi Mohamed
Friday urged the Somalis to forgive each other and called upon the politicians to make
concession for the sake of the country which has not had a central government for nine
years.
Ali Mahdi made the call after landing at the Issaley airport, about 15
kilometers northeast of the capital Mogadishu, where hundreds of heavily armed militiamen
and dozens of battle wagons from various parts of the capital received him.
The faction leader returned home after nearly 10 months of absence from
the capital. He fled Mogadishu after some of his security guards attacked his weapons
store in his house and looted his cache of ammunition.
The Somalis should move forward by reconciling, leaving behind those
trying to oppose to all developments towards the reestablishment of a government for
Somalia, Ali Mahdi said. However, he did not point his finger at any particular one group.
He called on the political leaders to stop wrangling about for
political posts in the barbaric way and make their efforts to rescue the Somalis from the
current plight of lawlessness and anarchy Ali Mahdi pointed out that the political
stagnation among the Hawiyeh main community leaders is the main problem for Somalia's
crises, noting that the community should now work for the formation of a unified
leadership.
Speaking about his role in the leadership, the faction leader said it
is not now time to lobby for a leadership role. He commended the current efforts made by
the traditional leaders in trying to convene a Hawiyeh peace conference in Mogadishu,
which has been postponed for three times.
The fate of the proposed general reconciliation conference for the
Hawiyeh community remains unclear as most of the political leaders have reportedly
forwarded their opposition.
The Hawiyeh community leadership to be elected would represent its
people in the forth coming general reconciliation conference for Somalia to be held in
Djibouti on April 20 for the establishment of a national government of Somalia, said Ali
Mahdi.
Before returning home, Ali Mahdi had stayed in Djibouti for seven days
during which he met with Djiboutian President Ismael Omar Ghelleh and senior Djiboutian
officials who are preparing for the Somali reconciliation conference.
However, Ali Mahdi did not say a word about his meeting with the Djiboutians nor about
his ideas in helping the realization of Djibouti's peace plan.