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HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN Weekly Round-up 5
2 - 6 October 2000



CONTENTS:

SOMALIA: Aydid to meet president in Mogadishu
SOMALIA: Kenya supports new government
SOMALIA: Tension in Baidoa
SOMALI: Release of "treason" convict
SUDAN: Peace talks end inconclusively
SUDAN: Agreement reached with Uganda on restoring relations
SUDAN: Fighting in the south
SUDAN: Eritrean president's visit
ETHIOPIA: Oromo opposition groups merge
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: UN mission leader appointed
ERITREA: Elections announced
Djibouti: Prime minister home

SOMALIA: Aydid to meet president in Mogadishu

In an interview with IRIN, Somali faction leader Husayn Muhammad Aydid
said he had agreed to meet interim president Abdiqasim Salad Hasan in
Mogadishu "in the coming weeks". Aydid said he did not recognise the new
government elected during the Djibouti-hosted peace talks; he had only
agreed to meet Abdiqasim in Libya. He told IRIN he had discussed with
Abdiqasim how to "bridge the differences" between his Somali National
Alliance (SNA) and Abdiqasim's "Arta group", which he described as being
dominated by members of the former Somali regime. Aydid said in his
meeting in Libya he was representing the SNA, other Mogadishu faction
leaders, and Abdullahi Yusuf of the self-declared autonomous region of
Puntland, northeastern Somalia. He denied he had signed any agreement, as
reported by Libyan state media, but that he had only agreed to Abdiqasim's
suggestion that they meet in Mogadishu "to resolve their differences". He
also denied that he had previously threatened to prevent the interim
president from entering Mogadishu. [For full version of this interview see
IRIN interview with faction leader Husayn Muhammad Farah Aydid]

SOMALIA: Kenya supports new government

The Kenyan government has said it fully supports the new Somali government
elected in the Djibouti-hosted peace process. In an interview with the
BBC's Focus on Africa on 30 September, Kenyan Assistant Minister of
Foreign Affairs Mohamed Affey said that "Kenya was part of the IGAD
[Inter-Governmental Authority on Development] process that brought about
this government". He further called on all Somalis, including the refugees
in Kenya, "to go back to Somalia", support their government and help
rebuild their country.

SOMALIA: Tension in Baidoa

Optimism in Baidoa for the newly elected Somali government is turning into
disappointment, because the interim president, Abdiqasim Salad Hasan, is
planning to install the new parliament in Mogadishu instead of making
Baidoa the transitional capital. Sources in Baidoa told IRIN that while at
first there had been support for the Djibouti-hosted process, it had
caused splits in the local Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA), with "some
bitterness" that the new president "has no interest in Baidoa".

Meanwhile, the situation in Baidoa town is reported to be tense, following
troop movements. The independent Mogadishu daily newspaper, 'Xog-Ogaal',
reported that about 900 soldiers had been deployed just a few km outside
the town. Sources told IRIN that the situation was causing the new
government concern. Colonel Hasan Muhammad Nur 'Shatigudud', the RRA
leader, and four members of the Transitional National Assembly (TNA) are
now in Baidoa. The sources told IRIN that another 16 TNA members from the
Digil and Mirifle clans had also gone to Baidoa to make sure that nothing
untoward happened.

SOMALI: Release of "treason" convict

Garad Abshir Salah was released on Wednesday less than three weeks after
being sentenced in the self-declared state of Somaliland to seven years in
prison for expressing support for Somalia's interim government. He was
released after elders called on President Muhammad Ibrahim Egal to pardon
him, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

SUDAN: Peace talks end inconclusively

Sudanese peace talks ended in Kenya on 1 October with an agreement by both
parties to hold another meeting this month. The talks, held under the
auspices of the regional IGAD, failed to overcome major differences on
issues of state and religion, andself-determination for the south.

Following the talks, the Sudanese government categorically rejected
proposals by talks' mediators for state secularism. In a statement carried
last Tuesday by the Sudanese state media, Ahmad Ibrahim al-Tahir,
government head of delegation, said that state secularism had been
"categorially rejected" in favour of a proposal that Islamic Shari'ah be
the source of legislation in Sudan "unless some states want to exempt
themselves" from its application.

SUDAN: Agreement reached with Uganda on restoring relations

Sudanese state media said on 29 September that delegates from Sudan,
Uganda, Egypt and Libya would hold a meeting in Khartoum in October to
discuss arrangements for improving Sudanese-Ugandan relations. External
Relations Minister Dr Mustafa Uthman Isma'il said fundamental principles,
"such as non-interference in domestic affairs and gradual restoration of
diplomatic and economic relations", had been agreed on during a recent
meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries held in Kampala. It
was agreed during the meeting that Uganda would post diplomats in Khartoum
under the auspices of Kenya, and Sudan would post diplomats in Kampala
under the sponsorship of Libya, said a report by Sudanese state media,
monitored by the BBC.

SUDAN: Fighting in the south

Efforts by the SPLA to obstruct a rail convoy heading for Bahr al-Ghazal,
southern Sudan, have been thwarted by government forces. A statement
issued by the general command of the Sudanese armed forces on 29 September
said efforts by the SPLA to prevent the convoy from reaching Aweil,
southern Bahr al-Ghazal, had been repulsed by the armed forces and
People's Defence Forces (PDF). According to the statement, the SPLA
attacked the convoy on 25 September, but incurred heavy human and material
losses. The Alul river bridge, which had been destroyed by the SPLA, had
been rehabilitated by the army, said the statement, carried by state
media.

Meanwhile, the SPLA have attacked the Bara garrison in central Sudan and
inflicted heavy casualties. The SPLA claimed victories in Bara in a report
broadcast by Sudanese opposition radio, Voice of the National Democratic
Alliance, on 2 October. SPLA forces had also captured two garrisons in the
Nubah Mountains "in the previous weeks in reaction to government attacks",
said the report. No independent confirmation has been forthcoming in
support of the claims, nor any government reaction.

SUDAN: Eritrean president's visit

Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki visited Sudan on Wednesday, where he
held talks with President Umar al-Bashir on security issues, which have
dogged bilateral relations. The talks would "mainly centre on the
development of bilateral relations and the removal of obstacles hindering
those relations."  according to Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Uthman
Ibrahim, as quoted by AFP. A key issue is security along the common
border, after Sudan recently accused Eritrea of harbouring and aiding
fighters of the Sudanese opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The SPLA is the main armed component of the NDA, which has offices in
Asmara. The continued presence of the SPLA in western Eritrea is "an open
secret", a diplomatic source told IRIN. Eritrea, on its part, accuses
Khartoum of hosting and Eritrean opposition group and facilitating
Ethiopian troops, said the source

ETHIOPIA: Oromo opposition groups merge

Oromo armed opposition groups have agreed to merge in a new organisation
called the United Oromo Liberation Forces (UOLF), led by General Wako
Gutu.  The decision was taken at a conference - venue undisclosed - held
between 16 and 20 September, Ethiopian Oromo opposition radio announced on
1 October.

The new group comprises the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the Oromo
People's Liberation Front (OPLF), the Islamic Front for the Liberation of
Oromiya (IFLO), the Oromiya Liberation Council (OLC), the United Oromo
People's Liberation Front (UOPLF) and the Oromo People's Liberation
Organisation (OPLO), the report said. General Wako Gutu was elected
chairman of UOLF, Jara Abaganda and Daud Ibsa co-vice chairmen, Galasa
Dilbo secretary-general, and Jamal Haji Ibrahim and Abagidi Abamagal
respectively first and second deputy secretary-general.

ETHIOPIOA-ERITREA: UN mission leader appointed

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has nominated Botswana's Permanent
Representative to the United Nations, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, as his
Special Representative to lead the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and
Eritrea.

ERITREA: Elections announced

The Eritrean National Assembly concluded its 13th session last Monday with
an announcement that elections would be held in December 2001. A committee
was appointed to draft regulations to govern political parties. Holding
the multiparty elections - the first since Eritrea became independent in
1993 - was "in line with the Eritrean constitution", state radio said. The
National Assembly also approved an exchange of posts between two
ministers: Ali Sayyid Abdullah became foreign minister, while Haile
Gebretensae became minister of trade and industry.

Djibouti: Prime minister home

Prime Minister Barkat Gourad Hamadou returned home last Monday after
having been treated for heart failure and partial paralysis since May. His
return has ignited public speculation in Djibouti over a cabinet
reshuffle, sources in Djibouti told IRIN. Barkat has served as prime
minister since 1978.

Nairobi, 6 October 2000 15:00 GMT


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irin-cea@ocha.unon.org ]


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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2000


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