U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-Up 428
10 - 16 May 2008


CONTENTS:

SOMALIA: Insecurity grips Kismayo
SOMALIA: Peace talks to begin in Djibouti
SUDAN: Watermelons, conflict and climate change


ALSO SEE:
GLOBAL: Export controls curtail aid for hungry neighbours
[http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=78187]



SOMALIA: Insecurity grips Kismayo

Gangs of armed men have set up roadblocks in and around Somalia's 
coastal city of Kismayo, 500km south of Mogadishu, causing serious 
insecurity.

"People's livelihoods are at stake and aid agencies have abandoned 
Kismayo because of the security problem," said Dahir Ali, an official 
with the human rights group SEDHURO. "This needs a resolution now."

He said: "There is a roadblock on every corner and street, making it 
very difficult for people to conduct their day-to-day activities."

[Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=78170]


SOMALIA: Peace talks to begin in Djibouti

Representatives of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and 
an Eritrea-based opposition alliance were gathered in Djibouti on 12 May 
for peace talks, with the government expressing optimism about the 
outcome.

"We are hopeful and optimistic that once discussions start we will find 
common ground and a solution to our problems," Abdi Haji Gobdon, a 
government spokesman, told IRIN.

However, opposition sources said there had been no direct talks with the 
government. "Our dealings have been with the UN envoy only [Special 
Representative of the Secretary-General Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah]."

[Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=78155]


SUDAN: Watermelons, conflict and climate change

Several hundred kilometres from the simmering conflicts between 
pastoralists and farmers [over natural resources] in Sudan's Darfur 
region, the two communities in the village of Gereigikh in North 
Kordofan State have learnt to cool the tension with watermelons.

"Our farmers discovered that whenever the Kawahla tribe [traditionally 
pastoral] brought their livestock into the fields, the animal droppings 
helped improve production, so the members of the Gawamha [traditionally 
farmers] started planting watermelons to attract the livestock to the 
field," recalled Ad-Dukhri Al-Sayed, a community leader in Gereigikh, 
about 100km northeast of the state capital, El Obeid. "The situation has 
improved so much. Now everyone lives in peace, we never have problems."

[Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=78164]


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