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HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-Up 403
13 - 19 October 2007


CONTENTS:

ETHIOPIA: UN and government agree aid delivery to Somali region
SUDAN: Southern leaders in talks to salvage unity government
SUDAN: Stakes raised over southern agreement - analyst
SUDAN: WFP condemns death of lorry drivers in Darfur
SOMALIA: UN compound stormed amid escalating violence in Mogadishu

See Also

ETHIOPIA: Encouraging farmers to boost productivity
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74826


ETHIOPIA: UN and government agree aid delivery to Somali region

In a bid to avert a humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Somali region, the 
government and the UN have agreed measures to ensure that food aid, 
medicines and other relief supplies reach vulnerable people in the area.

The UN and Ethiopia's Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Agency are to 
establish joint support centres in the most affected areas of the 
southeastern Somali region to facilitate the logistics of delivering 
relief food, medicine, veterinary services and livelihood support, 
according to a statement issued on 18 October by the office of the UN 
resident representative in Addis Ababa, the capital.

"The Ethiopian Government has assured the UN that humanitarian 
activities within Somali region will be unrestricted," said Fidele 
Sarassoro, UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative. 
"These developments are very good news for the people of the region. We 
applaud the excellent collaboration we have seen thus far."

Full report 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74861


SUDAN: Southern leaders in talks to salvage unity government

Leaders of the two major coalition partners in the Sudanese government 
of national unity were meeting in the capital, Khartoum, on 18 October 
to try to resolve a stalemate surrounding participation by the Sudan 
People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), sources said.

"Discussions are going on between the First Vice-President and President 
of Southern Sudan [Salva Kiir Mayardit] and President [Omar el] Bashir," 
Southern Sudan Information Minister Samson Kwaje said. "Nothing much 
will happen until they resolve the contentious issues raised by the 
SPLM."

The SPLM suspended its participation in the government on 11 October, 
accusing the north of violating the terms of the 2005 Comprehensive 
Peace Agreement (CPA) and failing to implement the accord.

Full report 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74849


SUDAN: Stakes raised over southern agreement - analyst

The decision by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to rejoin 
the Khartoum government days after pulling out has raised the stakes in 
the implementation of the southern peace agreement, an analyst said.

"The SPLM withdrawal and return was a case of ringing the alarm bells to 
attract more international attention," said Mariam Jooma, an analyst at 
the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies. "It has reaffirmed 
the need to implement the CPA [Comprehensive Peace Agreement]."

However, the decision will raise friction between the country's leaders 
leading to more tensions between the moderates and hardliners. The 
removal of some key ministers at this time could also affect the outcome 
of talks on Darfur due to begin in Libya on 27 October.

The SPLM announced the boycott on 11 October, accusing the north of 
violating the terms of the 2005 CPA and failing to implement the accord. 
The decision drew a quick reaction from various quarters, with donors 
and the UN calling for urgent dialogue to resolve the stalemate.

Full report
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74824


SUDAN: WFP condemns death of lorry drivers in Darfur

Unidentified assailants have shot and killed three lorry drivers 
contracted by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in the war-scarred 
western Sudanese region of Darfur, the organisation said.

Two of the men, who were killed on 16 October, worked for the Abbarci 
trucking company, WFP said.

"WFP is deeply saddened and shocked by the killings of these brave men, 
who knew the dangers they were facing but continued to work tirelessly 
to alleviate suffering and bring food to the hungry in Darfur," said 
Kenro Oshidari, WFP Sudan representative.

Full report 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74832


SOMALIA: UN compound stormed amid escalating violence in Mogadishu

Dozens of heavily armed government security officials detained the head 
of the World Food Programme (WFP) office in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 17 
October, an act decried by the UN organisation as a violation of 
international law.

In a statement, WFP called for "the immediate release of Mr Idris Osman, 
WFP's officer-in-charge of our Mogadishu office, who was taken at 
gunpoint by the Somali National Security Service (NSS) after the 
storming of a UN compound in Mogadishu this morning at 0815 local time 
by 50-60 heavily armed and uniformed members of the NSS.

"Mr Osman is being held in a cell at NSS headquarters near the 
presidential palace. WFP has not received any explanation for this 
action, which violates international law. International law also bars 
authorities from entering UN premises without prior UN permission," the 
statement said.

Full report 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74822


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