26/02/03 (B186) Le grand ami de Guelleh, Abdiqassim Salad Hassan, Président du GNT (organisme plutôt absent ces derniers temps), refuse de prendre part aux conversations de paix au Kenya.

______________________
Note de l’ARDHD
Très récemment l’US Major General John Sattler, dans une interview
en anglais (dont des extraits ont été publiés dans ce
numéro B186) accordée à UN Integrated Regional Information
Networks, déclarait que la Somalie était un état en faillite
et qu’il n’y avait plus de gouvernement.

On immagine que la communauté
internationale va être très impressionnée par le refus
du Président du GNT ! Mais, quelle déception quand même
pour Guelleh !

________________________ Extrait d’IRIN news Africa, Wed 26 Feb 2003

NAIROBI, – Somalia’s
Transitional National Government (TNG) has refused to take part in the peace
talks which were moved recently from the Kenyan town of Eldoret to the capital
Nairobi, warning that they are facing collapse.

In a statement, received
by IRIN, the TNG listed a range of issues it was unhappy with. These include
a threat to the « legitimacy » of the conference, caused by the participation
of « all sorts of people with no-one to represent ».

The statement also called
for representation from the self-declared republic of Somaliland, and complained
about the « unclear » programme and timetable of the conference, as
well as the fact that the talks had « not yet been turned over to the
Somalis ».

The statement accused
Ethiopia of « working tirelessly to marginalise or undermine the TNG and
some factions, while favouring others ».

« Ethiopian activities
at the conference are motivated and driven by its sinister designs for Somalia, »
t he statement said.

« Ethiopia is being
encouraged further in this endeavour by the deference accorded to it by the
international community – including Kenya – which is seemingly intimidated
by Ethiopia’s unjustified claim that it is the expert’ in Somalia’s affairs,
hence its takeover of the management of the conference. »

Along with Somalia’s other
neighbours – Kenya and Djibouti – Ethiopia is a member of the regional Intergovernmental
Authority on Development’s (IGAD) technical committee which is steering the
talks.

In a recent interview
with the BBC, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi admitted his country had
sent troops into Somalia to attack members of the Islamist al-Ittihad group.

« They have engaged
in terrorist activities in our country, » he told the BBC. He claimed
there were members of al-Ittihad within the TNG and the transitional parliament.

The TNG statement described
Ethiopia as an « adversary » and said Kenya should be the sole facilitator
of the talks.

« The TNG sees no
reason to continue to be a part of a conference that, without any shadow of
a doubt, will collapse under the weight of the problems listed above, »
the statement concluded.