Talks Over Kismayo Collapse Once Again!!!!
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:57 am
Somalia: Clan peace talks to settle Kismayo conflict collapse
9 Sep 9, 2007 - 11:34:23 AM
MOGADISHU, Somalia Sep 9 (Garowe Online) - Peace talks between warring Somali sub-clans aimed at resolving armed conflict in the southern port of Kismayo have collapsed, reliable sources told Garowe Online.
Delegates from two Darod sub-clans, the Marehan and the Kablalah, held consecutive meetings in the capital Mogadishu following the conclusion of the national reconciliation conference last month.
Kablalah is a loose confederation of sub-clans that include the Ogaden and the Majerteen.
Government troops who belong to Marehan and Kablalah sub-clans divided along clan lines and fought each other for control of Kismayo, a town prized for its strategic port and other economic assets.
Marehan clan soldiers have assumed control of Kismayo and wider Lower Jubba region since.
The interim government in Mogadishu has been largely unable to intervene in the armed conflict, due to serious complications in Mogadishu such as combating an insurgency.
The clan peace talks, organized by the government's ministry of interior, failed after the Marehan delegates refused to accept blame for the conflict in Kismayo.
The Kablalah delegates pushed for three major points during the talks, our sources said.
For one, the government-appointed administration of Lower Jubba region, led by a Kablalah governor, must be allowed to return and work in the region's capital, Kismayo.
Secondly, property such as homes and vehicles looted since the breakout of clan warfare in April must be returned to its rightful owners.
And thirdly, the Marehan sub-clan must take full responsibility for battles in April and June that led to dozens of deaths and the forceful eviction of some government troops from the region.
The Marehan delegates at the meeting dismissed the responsibility clause and instead argued that blame lies on both sides of the armed conflict, inside sources said.
Kismayo has been the source of numerous clan-related conflicts since the collapse of Somalia's last effective central government in 1991. Various Darod militias have fought for control of the town, which has changed hands several times over the years.
Source: Garowe Online
9 Sep 9, 2007 - 11:34:23 AM
MOGADISHU, Somalia Sep 9 (Garowe Online) - Peace talks between warring Somali sub-clans aimed at resolving armed conflict in the southern port of Kismayo have collapsed, reliable sources told Garowe Online.
Delegates from two Darod sub-clans, the Marehan and the Kablalah, held consecutive meetings in the capital Mogadishu following the conclusion of the national reconciliation conference last month.
Kablalah is a loose confederation of sub-clans that include the Ogaden and the Majerteen.
Government troops who belong to Marehan and Kablalah sub-clans divided along clan lines and fought each other for control of Kismayo, a town prized for its strategic port and other economic assets.
Marehan clan soldiers have assumed control of Kismayo and wider Lower Jubba region since.
The interim government in Mogadishu has been largely unable to intervene in the armed conflict, due to serious complications in Mogadishu such as combating an insurgency.
The clan peace talks, organized by the government's ministry of interior, failed after the Marehan delegates refused to accept blame for the conflict in Kismayo.
The Kablalah delegates pushed for three major points during the talks, our sources said.
For one, the government-appointed administration of Lower Jubba region, led by a Kablalah governor, must be allowed to return and work in the region's capital, Kismayo.
Secondly, property such as homes and vehicles looted since the breakout of clan warfare in April must be returned to its rightful owners.
And thirdly, the Marehan sub-clan must take full responsibility for battles in April and June that led to dozens of deaths and the forceful eviction of some government troops from the region.
The Marehan delegates at the meeting dismissed the responsibility clause and instead argued that blame lies on both sides of the armed conflict, inside sources said.
Kismayo has been the source of numerous clan-related conflicts since the collapse of Somalia's last effective central government in 1991. Various Darod militias have fought for control of the town, which has changed hands several times over the years.
Source: Garowe Online
