Somalia PM seeks dialogue with Islamists

[musika man]

By SALAD DUHUL
Associated Press Writer

Somalia's new prime minister will try to open a dialogue with Islamists to end an insurgency that a human rights group said has killed nearly 6,000 civilians so far this year, officials said Sunday.

Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, who formed his Cabinet on Sunday, has vowed to reconcile the nation as it struggles to contain the insurgency.

"The new prime minister will talk with Islamists and other opponents," presidential spokesman Hussein Mohamed Mohamoud told The Associated Press. "That is the first priority."

Ethiopia came to the aid of Somalia's government last December to rout the Council of Islamic Courts militia. The Islamic group's fighters have since launched an Iraq-style insurgency, and gunbattles, grenade and mortar attacks have decimated this seaside capital.

Numerous and repeated attempts at dialogue between the insurgents and the government have so far yielded no result.

Hussein, the former head of the Somali Red Crescent Society, took office last month with a pledge to address his nation's major problems within the next two years with a particular focus on security, reconciliation issues and facilitating humanitarian assistance.

The Elman Human Rights group said Sunday it has tallied 5,960 deaths since January in a country where obtaining a reliable death toll is nearly impossible. The report also said 7,980 people were wounded and more than 700,000 displaced from their homes this year.

During some of the heaviest fighting this year, witnesses said bodies were not being picked up or even counted. The few aid groups who brave the capital do not have the tools to perform an accurate count.

There was no way to independently verify Elman's count and there are no published figures from other groups to compare it to.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment on the report, although they have accused the local group in the past of exaggerating death tolls.

Elman chairman Sudan Ali Ahmed says his group collects figures from hospitals, local residents and its own recording of burials in Mogadishu.

The group has been compiling its figures in secret since the mayor of Mogadishu banned the organization in October, saying it was spreading false information.

"Our staff members are collecting figures and facts about human rights abuses by visiting residential areas and medical centers," Ahmed told The Associated Press by telephone Sunday from an undisclosed location.

Elman has 116 staff across the country. The group has tracked the killings of civilians during Mogadishu's near-daily violence this year and has also reported on violations in recent years.

Several human rights groups have accused the government, insurgents and Ethiopian troops of committing abuses.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since a group of warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, then turned their heavily armed supporters on each other.

The country also has struggled with rampant piracy off its lawless coast. The International Maritime Bureau has recorded 31 attacks off Somalia this year but believe many more go unreported.

On Sunday, the crew of a ship hijacked Oct. 17 was released, said Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy, which has come to the aid of hijacked vessels off Somalia's coast.

It was not clear how many people were on board the al-Marjan or what condition they were in. The vessel was flying under a Comoros flag.

Associated Press writer Mohamed Olad Hassan contributed to this report.

http://www.kansascity.com/659/story/386300.html

see the picture on this link before you vote.

do you agree only a dialogue can solve this catostrophy?

[Twisted_Logic]

The asmara group will be fools to turn down the invitation for dialogue.

[smooth]

Dialogue can never exist with a man that sincerely believes the anarchist Ethiopians are out-their to restore peace whilst they continue to fire heavy artillery shells into civilian neighbourhoods indiscriminately, a dialogue with this insane, treacherous, gutless, opportunistic man would never yield substantial result and would only help to divert attention away from atrocities the Ethiopians are committing in Mogadishu at a time when most media outlets are slowly starting to pick up pace with the reporting.

[galia]

They must tell the ethiopians to leave somalia than we will talk, until than he is just another donkey who replaced Gheedi

[musika man]

[quote="galia"]They must tell the ethiopians to leave somalia than we will talk, until than he is just another donkey who replaced Gheedi [/quote]

^^^

i will tell the prime minister galia. i been chosen to a live webcast questions and answers with the prime minister in a secret website. i accepted the invitation but they said they will inform me 6 hours before the event. tthey contacted me on my p.m through somalinet. i suspect cawar gave them. who do you suspect gave them my nik? they think am pro abgals.
peace is better than war. let us somalis have peace, ethiopia will leave. no excuse to stay.
where is your friend ureyso?

[galia]

[quote="musika man"][quote="galia"]They must tell the ethiopians to leave somalia than we will talk, until than he is just another donkey who replaced Gheedi [/quote]

^^^

i will tell the prime minister galia. i been chosen to a live webcast questions and answers with the prime minister in a secret website. i accepted the invitation but they said they will inform me 6 hours before the event. tthey contacted me on my p.m through somalinet. i suspect cawar gave them. who do you suspect gave them my nik? they think am pro abgals.
peace is better than war. let us somalis have peace, ethiopia will leave. no excuse to stay.
where is your friend ureyso?[/quote]

The Problem here musika man is that the last thing that the ethiopians want is peace in somalia so they do not have to leave.

ureyso is not my friend, i have no idea where that thing suddenly popped out these last few days.

[North Country]

We need a minium of 40,000 more uncivilized inhibitians killed, please let the buchery contunie I wud like a some rumb roast It brightens my day to hear new deaths in south central somalia the South central of somalia! Some times the police have no choice but heavy handness n shall there hands get heaver

[North Country]

We need a minium of 40,000 more uncivilized inhibitians killed, please let the buchery contunie I wud like a some rumb roast It brightens my day to hear new deaths in south central somalia the South central of somalia! Some times the police have no choice but heavy handness n shall there hands get heaver