| 19 May 2007 04:13 SOMALIA WATCH |
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Who is Col. Kaddafi backing in the Somali peace Initiative? BBC WORLD SERVICE AT 1705 GMT AND THIS IS CHRIS BICKERTON WITH FOCUS ON AFRICA Who is Col. Kaddafi backing in the Somali peace Initiative? Three Somali leaders were just visiting Libya's Kaddafi. They all oppose the Djibouti Peace initiative: The Somaliland president Mohamed Ibrahim Igal, because he wants to retain his territories independence, Puntland's Col. Abdullahi Yussuf Ahmed for similar reasons and Aideed probably because he is unwilling to relinquish power. There is much speculation that Col. Kaddafi would use the opportunity to stir things up and perhaps sabotage the Djibouti peace plan. But it didn't turn out like that at all as Hassan Barrisa reports in this e-mail from Mogadishu: Hassan Barrisa: Faction leader Hussein Mohamed Aideed's delegation returned to Mogadishu yesterday afternoon after spending three days in Tripoli. Today's local newspapers say Aideed's mission to Libya was total failure. One of the papers, Xog-ogaal, said that Col. Kaddafi told the Somali delegation that he plans to unite Africa and that the Somali leaders should unite and form their own government, otherwise he will no longer remain their friend. A confidential source in one of Aideed's delegation said Col. Kaddafi had at first warmly welcomed the Somali delegation and invited them to dinner in Tripoli. But the source said Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim Igal of Somaliland didn't show for the dinner, saying that he didn't want to meet either Col. Abdullahi Yussuf of Puntland or Hussein Aideed. According to the source this angers Col. Kaddafi who immediately ordered that Mr. Igal should leave Tripoli on the first flight back to Hargaisa, without meeting or seeing him. The delegation member, who didn't wanted to be named, said Col. Kaddafi then had dinner with the other two. During dinner, Col. Kaddafi made it clear to Hussein Aideed and Col. Yussuf that there is no difference between Somaliland, Puntland or south Mogadishu and that all that matters is the search for a solution for Somalia in general. My source also said Col. Kaddafi had told Aideed and Col. Yussuf that Djibouti Peace Plan would be fully supported by the international community, including the Arab League, the OAU, the European Union and the United Nations. The delegate said they were made to understand that the world community has now decided to support the Djibouti initiative in obtaining a government for Somalia, wheather the Somali armed political leaders like it or not. In Mogadishu today, people were widely discussing the role of Col. Kaddafi, whom they earlier thought was planning to convene a separate meeting to sabotage the Djibouti reconciliation conference for Somalia. Many commended Col. Kaddafi for his apparent change of heart.An e-mail report from Hassan Barrisa in Mogadishu [Back to the top] [ News] |
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