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Somalia: Government to disarm the capital within three days
Mon. January 01, 2007 06:38 am. -
Mohamed Abdi Farah
PM. Ali Gedi |
(SomaliNet) Somalia’s Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi has announced on Monday that his government would collect weapons from Mogadishu residents in the capital within three days after completing the disarmament plans that have been worked by the disarmament committed set by the government.
Premier Ali Gedi made the announcement in a news conference held today in north of Mogadishu in which he also raised the issue of the fight against what he called ‘the remnants of Islamic Courts Union’ still on the run, and the motive behind the presence of the Ethiopian troops in the country.
In his opening statement, he has sent congratulation to all Somali people on the birth of the New Year 2007 and hoped Somalia for better and bright future.
Ethiopian presence
Mr. Gedi said he thinks that the Somali people in the capital have understood that the Ethiopian arrived in the country for their interest including establishing the security and promoting peace in Somalia but did not come to bother them.
“Our brothers came to help my government to handle the situation and fight against the terrorists in the region,” said Gedi. “people should dismiss the wrong idea that Ethiopian forces came to occupy Somalia and I hope you all understood the real meaning that Ethiopia is helping us out of the problem,”
Disarmament plan
Gedi said the transitional government is launching a disarmament project aimed to collect all the weapons in the capital within three days and urged all the weapon-holders to lay down their weapons without delay.
“The collecting of weapons would start from tomorrow on at 7:00 am local time to Thursday and the government is asking all the people should ask obey the order and lay down their weapons,” Gedi said.
Premier Gedi said the militiamen and the other people having weapons must bring their weapons to specific locations like Villa Baidoa compound and sea port where Somali-Ethiopia military officers are ready to register the collected weapons.
“The government will take tough measure against anyone who opposes the order of collecting the weapons,” said Gedi. “The government will disarm the people by force after three days grace period,”
Asked why he has chosen Mogadishu firstly to be disarmed while other regions are full of weapons, Gedi replied: “Mogadishu is the capital and is the seat of the government therefore we should give it priority that the city should be clean of weapons and explosives,”
He said all the militias will be rehabilitated and provided for special training for better future.
War on terror
Ali Gedi, who is now in the capital for few days since the city has fallen into the hands of Ethiopia-Somalia troops last week, said his government troops along with the Ethiopian forces backed by tanks have taking fully control of the southern port city of Kismayo after the Islamic leaders and their fighters have deserted there.
He has stressed that the government troops backed by the Ethiopian forces are determined to chase down the remnants of the Islamic hardliners.
“My government troops with the help of the Ethiopians won to oust the remaining Islamists and other terror groups from southern port city of Kismayo,” Gedi said. “The war will continue till we clear all the terrorist groups from the region,”
Premier Gedi has ruled out the hope of any peace talks with the Islamists.
News Category: Somalia
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