04/12/08 (B476-B) Somalie : toujours des violences et des gestes politiques … La décision éthiopienne de retirer ses troupes avant la fin décembre, suscite de nombreux commentaires et communiqués ( 5 articles en Anglais et en Français)

__________________________________ 5 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Le contingent ugandais des forces de maintien de la paix de l’UA en Somalie restera sur place, après le départ des Ethiopiens. // Ugandan Peacekeepers to Stay in Somalia

Ugandan military spokesman Major Paddy Ankunda told VOA that Kampala has no plans to withdraw any of its peacekeeping troops from Somalia before its current mandate from the African Union expires early next year.

« Ugandan troops will remain in Somalia because we still have an African Union mandate. We also think that we still have a role to assist the Somali people regain their state and their freedom. So, we shall stay there, » he said.

Ethiopia’s announcement last week that it plans to withdraw thousands of its troops from Somalia by December 31 has put renewed pressure on the African Union to find additional peacekeepers for the mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM.

The mission was formed in January, 2007 to help secure the Somali capital Mogadishu and to aid reconstruction following Ethiopia’s military intervention in Somalia a month earlier to oust the country’s Islamic Courts Union.

Ethiopia left thousands of its troops in Somalia to protect the secular, U.N.-recognized-but-weak interim government. But almost immediately, the presence of Ethiopian troops triggered a bloody Islamist-led insurgency in Mogadishu and elsewhere in the country.

The bodies of alleged insurgents lie in Mogadishu after fighting broke out on 21 Nov 2008

The anti-government, anti-Ethiopian violence dampened support for the mission among many African countries and for more than a year, Uganda was the only country to contribute troops to AMISOM.

The mission now has about 3,500 troops from Uganda and Burundi. But it is still far short of the 8,000 it was originally mandated to have. Ugandan military officials have said that security in Mogadishu is so poor, the mission actually needs about 17,000 more troops to expand AMISOM’s reach in the capital.

Uganda and Burundi officials are due to meet next week to discuss the implications of the Ethiopian withdrawal.

Since March 2007, AMISOM troops have been repeatedly attacked and are able to patrol only a small area in and around Mogadishu’s airport and seaport.

The expected departure of Ethiopian troops, meanwhile, has emboldened Islamists to intensify their attacks, especially in Baidoa where the interim parliament is based. A string of bombings last week and on Sunday that killed and wounded dozens of people have been blamed on Islamist insurgents.


__________________________________ 4 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Les officiels de l’AMISON affirme qu’ils n’ont pas la capacité de remplacer le vide laissé lorsque les forces éthiopiennes d’occupation se retireront du pays. // AMISOM officials in Somalia declared that they do not have enough forces to replace the Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Force Commander: Major-General Francis Okello told Shabelle that they would support more forces to come in Somalia to replace the Ethiopian soldiers.

AMISOM does not have enough forces to replace the Ethiopian forces, Major-General Francis Okello said.

Major-General Francis Okello confirmed that they had lost one Burundian peace keeper when insurgents attacked Jalle Siad Military Academy, a base of Burundian peace keepers in Somalia.

Some body fired a bullet on our soldiers and one died, Said Okello. We are not afraid of being attacked he added.

This comes as Ethiopia announced on Friday that its troops will withdraw from Somalia by the end of this year.

Uganda was the first country to contribute troops to the AMISOM in March 2007 and Burundi followed in 2008, but the force is still far short of the 8,000 soldiers initially announced by the AU.

AU peacekeepers have struggled to make an impact in Somalia, where they are targeted by Islamist insurgents seeking to regain power from the government forces.

__________________________________ 3 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Le Premier ministre somalien arrive à Baïdoa pour expliquer les termes de l’accord signé à Djibouti avec l’ARS et pour demander aux députés de le soutenir. //
Somali prime minister arrives in Baidoa (Info lecteur)

Somali Prime Minister, Nor Adde Hassan Hussein, has arrived in Baidoa on Wendesday to seek approval for his cabinet from the Parliament, our correspondent in Baidoa reported.

The prime minister from Nairobi, Kenyan Capital arrived at Aden Adde international airport in Mogadishu early on Wednesday and then flew to Baidoa, the seat of the transitional parliament.

The Somali Prime Minister Nor Adde held a press conference in Baidoa. He explained the modalities of the peace agreement singed in Djibouti, between the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia and the transitional federal government.

He urged all the parliamentarians to support the peace deal.

He also explained that he was going to ask the legislators to approve his new cabinet, despite the Somali president Abdullahi Yusuf had rejected to approve it.

The prime minister had a closed doors meeting with Ethiopian officials and the speaker of the parliament in Biadoa.

President Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Nor Adde Hassan Hussein have disagreed over the composition of a new government.

__________________________________ 2 – XINHUA

ONU: l’an prochain crucial pour la Somalie

L’année prochaine sera une période cruciale pour la Somalie, car sa population souffre d’une pauvreté continue sans autre aide efficace, a averti mercredi un responsable de l’ONU.

« La crise en Somalie est une crise prolongée, une crise qui dure depuis 17 ans », a déclaré à la presse Mark Bowden, coordinateur humanitaire de l’ONU pour la Somalie.

Il a fait savoir que la situation en Somalie se trouve dans une phase difficile du fait que le peuple somalien a souffert de trois ans de sécheresse.

La Somalie, qui n’a pas de gouvernement national depuis 1991, a été frappée par des conflits et des souffrances humanitaires pendant des décennies.

Une instabilité continuelle, ainsi que la sécheresse, les prix alimentaires élevés et l’effondrement de la monnaie locale ont détérioré ces derniers mois la situation humanitaire dans ce pays africain.

Les Nations Unies ont lancé mardi un appel pour quelque 918 millions de dollars afin de financer des projets d’assistance en Somalie.

Le Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU a également appelé tous les pays et les organisations régionales capables de déployer des navires de guerre et des avions militaires au large de la Somalie afin de lutter contre la piraterie montante qui a mis en cause les efforts d’aide de l’ONU.

L’ONU a estimé qu’environ 3,2 millions d’habitants, soit 40% de la population totale somalienne, ont besoin d’assistance.

________________ 1 – All Africa avec Shabelle (En Anglais)

Accrochage en Somalie entre des soldats gouvernementaux (Gardes du Président et Gardes du Gouverneur de la région de Banadir) à priximité du Palais présidentiel : au moins 4 morts et un blessé. // Somalia: Clashes Erupt Around Presidential Palace

Somalia — At least four people died and one was injured when clashes erupted between Somali government soldiers around the presidential palace on Wednesday, witnesses said.

The fighting started when the presidential guards fired to the security guards of Banadir Region Governor, Mohamed Osman Ali (DhgahTur)

The commander of the Somali police forces Abdi Hasan Awalle arrived the scene to solve the matter.