BBC WORLD SERVICE AT 1705 GMT. THIS IS CHRIS BICHERTON WITH FOCUS ON AFRICA

 There has been a dramatic shootout in the middle of Mogadishu, the Somali Capital. It came just after the arrival of nearly 100 MPs who were elected at the Djibouti Peace Conference at the end of August. They were due to set up the country's first parliament and government in Somalia for 10 years but are opposed by the former warlords and faction leaders. But the militiamen guarding the new MPs suddenly came under fire. I asked our Mogadishu correspondent, Hassan Barrise, what happened? 

Hasasan Barrise: Well, it was about 1.30 PM local time today when the first parliamentarians have arrived in Mogadishu, and there was quite a number of people, more than 500 people chanting and jubilating for their reception as well as 20 battlewagons and several hundred militiamen have been escorting them. And it was immediately as they entered into Lafweyn Palace when the shooting has started. 

CHRIS BICHERTON: Who was doing the shooting? 

Barrise: The shooting has been carried out by free-lance gunmen who have manning by checkpoints not very far away from the hotel. They have been in a building called Al-Haramayn which is about 300 meters away from the hotel were the Parliamentarians were welcomed. They don't belong, to our understanding, to any faction leader or to any other political group. 

CHRIS BICHERTON: What happened? Who got hurt? Who got killed? 

Barrise: The shooting first started in a way deemed something like accident and then the shooting has escalated with most of the heavy weaponry being used by the escorts of the parliamentarians. Me, myself was among the people who were trapped inside the building. As the shooting subsided, I dropped out of the building to see what was happening, and I came across a teas-shop were several chairs were destroyed and blood was on the floor and, according to the eyewitnesses, one man was killed and more than nine others, including, one of them very seriously wounded. It was, my understanding, ordinary civilians who were caught in the crossfire.

 CHRIS BICHERTON: So the MPs were not hurt. 

Barrise: No, none of the MPs was hit. And at the time the shooting has begun, all of the 98 parliamentarians have been inside the hotel. They were still at the reception to sort out their luggage and their rooms when the shooting has started. 

CHRIS BICHERTON: Is there any idea what was the motive behind this attack? 

Barrise: Well, according to the militiamen who've been outside, the gunmen who fired at the escorts of the MP's have been there in the morning and the people from the area said they were there since the morning and saying they will cause some trouble to the MPs, because they were not employed as part of the militiamen working on the security of the MPs around the area. 

CHRIS BICHERTON: So this is not any part of the warlords and faction leaders' disagreement with this parliament? 

Barrise: Well, the disagreement with the warlords is still there, but this is just an incident which can be characterized as an isolated one, very much involving money and, you know, militiamen looking for job, etc.  

CHRIS BICHERTON: Our Mogadishu correspondent, Hassan Barrise

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BBC MONITORING INTERNATIONAL REPORTS: SOMALIA: GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL BLAMES FREELANCE GUNMEN FOR MPS ATTACK
 BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom ; 11-Oct-2000 12:00:00 am ; 125 words

Text of report by Somali Banaadir radio on 11th October

At least one person was killed and several others wounded today when a group of militiamen and gunmen escorting a convoy of MPs returning from Djibouti exchanged fire near Lafweyn Hotel [in Mogadishu]. The gun battle paralysed traffic movement and business activity in the area.

Gen Uthman Shaykh Ali alias Badma'eyeh, the head of security for MPs and other government officials, told reporters the attack on the convoy was not politically motivated, adding that freelance militiamen who had earlier demanded to be recruited into the government security force were responsible for the incident. Although the gun battle, in which light and heavy weapons were used, lasted for one hour, it is not yet clear whether the situation has been resolved.

Source: Radio Banaadir, Mogadishu, in Somali 1700 gmt 11 Oct 00

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Weerar lagu qaaday xubno ka tirsan barlamaanka KMG ah  ee dalka Soomaaliya

Mogadishu, Arbaca 11 Okt - Shan qof ayaa ku dhintay xarunta Soomaaliya ee Mogadishu markii la weeraray hoteel la dejiyey xubno barlamaanka ka tirsan oo maanta soo gaadhay Mogadishu. Warbixin gaar ah oo uu ka soo diray Yoonis Cali Nuur, Qabanqaabiyaha sare ee laanta af soomaaliga ee BBC oo jooga Mogadishu. Markii saacadda Afrika bari aheyd 01.30 duhurnimo ayaa jidka weyn ee loo yaqaan jidka warshadaha, waana halkay ahaan jirtay warshaddii sigaarka, ayaan kaga biiray waftigii ka yimi Jabuuti oo ka soo degay garoonka Ballidooge saacado ka hor. Ilaa labatan baabuur oo inta badan siday ciidammo boqolaal gaaraya oo sugay nabadgelyada waftigii mudanayaasha Jabuuti ka yimi. Dadkaan oo tirada guud ahaan gaarayso 113 qof, 98 ka mid ahi waxay ahaayeen xubnaha barlamaanka. Waftiga waxaa loo sii gudbiyey hoteelka Lafaweyne oo ku yaal xaafadda Fagax oo ka tirsan Kaaran.  Wuxuu intaa ku daray Yoonis oo uu ka sheekeeyey sida xaal ahaa markii uu gaaray albaabka weyn ee hoteelka oo ay dad dhowr boqol ahi hor tuubnaayeen ,markii aanu isniri ka dega Taxi-gii na wadey ayaa mar qura tacshiiradda laga soo riday dhisme hoteelka hortiisa ku yaal oo lagu sheegay in la yiraahdo hoteel Al-Xarameyn. Deedna waxaa dhacday in ciidamaddii waftiga ilaalinayey tacshiiradda tii ka daran huwiyeen.. Annaga iyo waftigii Jabuuti ka yimi ayaa u soo dhaqaaqnay buu yiri Yoonis xaggii hoteelka. Waxaan isku maqiiqay albaabkii oo aan hore u galay si aan uga gabado tacshiirada marba marka ka dambeysa sii cuslaaneysay. Intii hore waxaa la isku adegsaday qoryaha fudud iyo kuwa culus ee mashiiganka. Muddo saacad ah ayaa rasaastaa la isticmaalayey markii dambe ayaa ciidankii waftiga ilaalinayey waxay isticmaaleen qoryo kuwa hore ka culus oo Bashiiku ka mid yahay. In muddo ah ayaa jawigu qasnaa oo waxba kala garan waayey . 45 daqiiqo ah ayaanu food ka soo qaadin hoteelka, in kastoo dad badani fadhiyeen hoteelka hortiisa,oo argagaxa aniga iga muuqday runtii aaney ka muuqan. Yoonis wuxuu intaa ku daray in markii 03.00 galabnimo ayaa rasaastii ka qabowday hoteelka. Markii aan ka soo baxay hoteelka waxaa dibadda ku arkay dhiig meel kasta daadsan. Sidaan arkaayey waxaa dib loo riixay kooxdii dableyda ahayd weerarka soo geysatay. Markii dambe waxaan helay General Cismaan Shiikh Cali ”Badmaceeye” oo ka madax ka ah nabadgelyadda barlamaanka. Wuxuu ii sheegay buu yir Yoonis in kooxda hubeysan ee wax soo weerartay ay yihiin dhalinyaro dooneysay in la qoro booliiska iyo ciidanka dowladu qoraneyso iminka Markii dambe oo xaalku qaboobay ayaan ka soo baxnay hoteelkii waxaana soo dhexmay magaalada intii aan ku socday hoteelka Shaamow, Magaaladuna waana nabadooneyd. Warkii idaacadda galabta 14.30-15.00 GMT http://www.somaliainter.com/

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Wednesday, 11 October, 2000, 17:45 GMT 18:45 UK

 

MPs attacked in Somalia

The parliamentarians were protected by more than 20 battle wagons

Five people have died in Mogadishu during an armed attack on a delegation from the country's new transitional assembly.

The assailants were militiamen who were annoyed they had not been employed to protect the delegates.

The dead and injured were civilians caught in the cross-fire; none of the 98 parliamentarians were hurt.

The delegation had arrived to begin establishing the country's first parliament since the fall of president Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991.

Money not politics

They were protected by several hundred freelance militiamen, who are not allied to any political party or warlord.

Somalia is a highly militarised society

The MPs were inside their hotel when the shooting started, and their security men returned fire using heavy weapons.

A BBC correspondent at the scene said about 500 people had gathered to greet the parliamentarians

He said the attack was motivated by money, not politics.

The militiamen had no allegiance to any warlord, but had earlier said they would cause trouble because they had not been given security jobs.

New government

A transitional assembly of 245 members was elected in Djibouti in August.

Warlords such as Mohamed Aideed do not support the transitional administration

Abdulkassim Salat Hassan was elected as president and he appointed Ali Khalif Galaydh as prime minister and asked him to form a government.

Not all the warring factions in Somalia accept the legitimacy of the transitional assembly.

The new government is intended to be the first national Somali government since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991, but not all the warring Somali factions accept it as legitimate.