22/12/08 (B479) La crise politique en Somalie. L’IGAD renvoie « dos à dos », le Président du GNT et son premier ministre (6 dépêches en Français et en Anglais)

______________________________ 6 – JDD

Somalie: Des forces nigérianes en renfort

Des soldats du Nigeria devraient en principe rejoindre en janvier la force de l’Union africaine (UA) en Somalie afin de limiter les conséquences du retrait des troupes éthiopiennes, alliées au gouvernement de Mogadiscio, a annoncé l’UA dimanche.

La décision de l’Ethiopie de rappeler ses 3.000 soldats de Somalie d’ici à la fin de l’année fait craindre un effondrement du fragile gouvernement pro-occidental de ce pays et une reprise de la capitale par les insurgés islamistes.

______________________________ 5 – AFP

Somalie: l’Igad condamne Yusuf et sanctionne son nouveau Premier ministre

L’Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement (Igad, six pays d’Afrique de l’Est) a condamné dimanche le président du gouvernement de transition somalien (TFG) et imposé des sanctions contre le Premier ministre qu’il a désigné mi-décembre.

A l’issue du 31e conseil des ministres extraordinaire de l’Igad à Addis Abeba, l’organisation régionale a annoncé avoir « décidé d’imposer des sanctions » aux Premier ministre nommé par le président du TFG Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.

Le président somalien avait nommé le 16 décembre un nouveau Premier ministre, Mohamoud Mohamed Gouled, malgré l’opposition du Parlement de transition qui a jugé illégal le limogeage du précédent, Nur Hassan Hussein.

Selon la charte du gouvernement fédéral de transition, le président n’a pas le pouvoir de démettre le Premier ministre sans l’approbation du Parlement. Or, ce dernier a apporté un soutien massif au Premier ministre limogé et à son gouvernement, les qualifiant de « légitimes ».

« Le conseil regrette la tentative par le président Abdullahi Yusuf de nommer de manière inconstitutionnelle un nouveau Premier ministre que l’Igad ne reconnaît pas et décide de lui imposer des sanctions immédiatement ainsi qu’à ses associés », indique le communiqué final de la réunion.

L’Igad appelle ses Etats membres ainsi que l’Union Africaine (UA) et l’ONU à prendre également des sanctions et à maintenir la pression sur le président Yusuf.

Le président du Conseil, le ministre éthiopien des Affaires étrangères Seyoum Mesfin, a précisé à l’AFP que « si M. Yusuf continue sur cette voie, des sanctions lui seront également imposées ».

L’Igad a « réaffirmé son soutien au Premier ministre (limogé par le président Yusuf) Nur Hassan Hussein » et aux membres de son gouvernement, et a appelé le TFG à faire preuve d’unité.

Lors de cette réunion, l’Igad a par ailleurs exprimé son « soutien à l’intention du gouvernement du Kenya de prendre des mesures contre des dirigeants somaliens dont le président du TFG, conformément aux décisions du Conseil (le 20 novembre) qui avait approuvé l’imposition de sanctions ciblées contre tous ceux qui sont devenus un obstacle à la paix en Somalie ».

Le Kenya a récemment annoncé que son gouvernement allait prendre des sanctions individuelles contre M. Yusuf, suite à sa décision de démettre le Premier ministre Nur Hassan Hussein.

Le 20 novembre déjà, le Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU avait adopté une résolution appelant à geler les avoirs et à interdire de voyage les Somaliens qui agissent contre le processus de paix, violent l’embargo sur les armes ou menacent la distribution de l’aide humanitaire.

Selon des sources concordantes, M. Yusuf est actuellement en voyage au Kenya où il doit notamment rencontrer la secrétaire d’Etat américaine adjointe aux Affaires africaines, Jendayi Frazer. M. Nur Hussein devait également participer à cette rencontre.

« La situation en Somalie reste extrêmement volatile », avait souligné pour sa part l’envoyé spécial adjoint du secrétaire général de l’ONU pour la Somalie, Charles Petrie. « En conséquence il n’y a pas de temps à perdre. Le temps de parler est terminé ».

« J’espère que nos décision seront ensuite adoptées par le Conseil de paix et de sécurité de l’UA et par la communauté internationale », avait-il ajouté soulignant la pertinence des déclarations du Kenya.

_______________________________ 4 – AlJazeera (En Anglais)

Le Président somalien redoute la domination par les militaires. //Somali president fears militia rule

The withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia will leave the country in the hands of Islamist militias, Somalia’s president says.

Abdullahi Yusuf, who leads Somalia’s transitional government, told Al Jazeera: « The al-Shabab are a threat to the whole of Somalia. »

For the past two years the interim government has relied on the military support of Ethiopian troops in its battle against opposition forces including al-Shabab.

« Unless they are stopped, Somalia will cease to exist, » Yusuf said.

« It looks apparent that, with the Ethiopian announcement that they are withdrawing from Somalia, there is nothing in the way of al-Shabab and other Islamist militias taking over the whole country. »

Ethiopia had announced on Saturday that it would be pulling its forces out of the country by the end of the year.

An Ethiopian foreign ministry statement said: « This week, Ethiopian troops have begun to make preparations for their withdrawal. This has not, however, prevented continuing clashes with al-Shabab forces. »

Battles have raged between Ethiopian forces and Islamist fighters for the past two years.

Fighters with al-Shabab, the armed group that has taken control of much of Somalia, told Al Jazeera that they planned to enforce Islamic law across the country.

Mohammed Adow, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Nairobi, said: « The president is echoing the frustrations of his government and the fears of millions of Somalis. »

Yusuf said in an exclusive interview: « This is no peace. The al-Shabab kill anyone who speaks out. They are killers who behead innocent civilians at will. People are quiet because they fear them. They are living in terror under the Shabab.

« I don’t blame Ethiopia for wanting to withdraw its troops, but if they leave, and are not quickly replaced with adequate peacekeepers; if the African Union and the United Nations do not unite to strengthen the peacekeepers in Somalia, there is no doubt al-Shabab will take over Somalia.

« And when they do, they will jeopardise the security of the whole region and beyond. »

Adow reported that Yusuf’s view is not supported by many Somalis, especially those living in areas under al-Shabab control – areas that used to be « where the gun was the order of the day ».

« Today, they can go about their business without any fear. One such place is Kismayu, Somalia’s third-largest city. Today, it is a safe place, » he reported.

Kismayu model

Relative calm has been restored to Kismayu after al-Shabab and one of its allies, the Raaskambooni Camp Mujahideen, seized control of the city from local clans three months ago.

Abu Ayman, the leader of the Raaskambooni Camp Mujahideen, told Al Jazeera: « We want to use Kismayu as an example and a model of our rule to the rest of Somalia.

« Our aim is to get residents in faraway towns inviting us to come and govern them according to the way of Allah. The calm in Kismayu has benefited its down-trodden most. »

Most of Kismayu’s residents agree with Abu Ayman, saying they are now able to go about normal life without fear of attacks by marauding gangs of armed men who had terrorised them periodically for nearly 18 years.

« I remember times when young boys with knives used to rob us of our daily earnings. Now we can carry lots of money without any fear of being robbed, » Mohammed Fundi, a porter and Kismayu resident, said.

Seyyid Ali, also a porter in the city, said: « We used to be sort of enslaved. When we load six lorries, we used to be paid for just one or two. Today we get wages equal to our output. We have justice here. »

Peace, at a price

But our correspondent said the apparent peace had come at a price.

« International aid agencies, the lifeline of Somalia’s poor, fled the town because of the fighting.

« They have still not returned as the Islamists have little tolerance for anything – or anyone – foreign, » he said.

« The suffering is huge as the poor are largely left to fend for themselves. »

Kismayu has been left with one hospital to serve the needs of nearly one million people from the city and surrounding areas.

The hospital used to be run by Medecins Sans Frontieres, which was forced to abandon the centre eight months ago after members of staff were killed by fighters.

Now, it is common for only one doctor to be on duty at a time, and medical supplies are dwindling.

Adow described the people of Kismayu as « numb to the myriad problems surrounding them ».

« They [residents] have survived the vagaries of war. They have weathered the almost 20 changes in Kismayu’s administrations over the past 18 years and its people have learned to live with and obey any group that has the upper hand, » he said.

Somalia has had no effective government since a coup removed Siad Barre from power in 1991, leading to an almost total breakdown in law and order across most of the country.

The only relative stability experienced by some parts of the country came during the brief six-month rule of the Islamic Courts Union in 2006.

However, they were driven out of the capital, Mogadishu, and other areas, by Ethiopian and government troops – sparking an upsurge in fighting.

Ethiopia is due to remove its troops from war-torn Somalia by the end of the year.

_______________________________ 3 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Le Premier ministre somalien voyage de Djibouti jusqu’au Kenya pour assister aux obsèques d’un parlementaire Kenyan. Le Président a aussi fait le déplacement. //Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein has traveled to Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The prime minister from Djibouti reached Nairobi on Sunday where he attended the funeral of a Somali prominent politician Dr. Hussein Haji Bod who died in Nairobi.

Somali president Abdulahi Yusuf is Nairobi and he also attended the funeral.

It is expected that the two feuding leaders will meet Jendayi Frazer, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in Nairobi.

President Abdulahi yusuf said he sacked Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and nominated a new prime minister, but Nur Hassan Hussein rejected the decision of the president.

Kenyan foreign minister Musas Wetangula said that his government only recognized Hussein as prime minister, saying Yusuf did not have the power to fire him.

Kenya was the venue of the two-year-long peace talks that formed Yusuf’s government in 2004.

_______________________________ 2 – BBC (En Anglais)

Une série de discussions sur la crise somalienne sont ouvertes en Ethiopie, avec la participation des Ministres des A.E. de plusieurs pays de l’Afrique de l’est et de membres de l’UA. // Somalia crisis talks in Ethiopia

Islamist insurgents are taking over more of Somalia

Ethiopia is hosting a series of talks on the deepening crisis in its neighbour, Somalia.

Foreign ministers from east Africa are meeting in the capital, Addis Ababa, to be followed by talks by the African Union’s peace and security council.

The emergency meetings come after Ethiopia decided to withdraw its troops from Somalia by the end of December.

Islamist insurgents are gaining ground again after Ethiopia intervened two years ago to help government forces.

Different Islamist groups now control much of southern Somalia once more.

The Ethiopian troops and forces loyal to the interim Somali government are limited to parts of Mogadishu and the central town of Baidoa, where parliament is based.
Twin crises

The transitional government is in disarray, says the BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt in Addis Ababa, after President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed attempted to sack Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein – a move the prime minister and parliament rejected.

With the president facing impeachment, it is not clear how much of a government is left for Somalia’s neighbours in the East African regional grouping, Igad, and the AU to support, says our correspondent.

It is feared that a power vacuum will arise after the Ethiopians pull out

When the Ethiopian soldiers leave Somalia, the small African Union peacekeeping force will be on its own.

Only a tiny handful of countries answered a call from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to send forces to help, and no-one has volunteered to fill a leadership role.

It is these twin political and security crises that the foreign ministers from the East African regional organisation Igad (Inter-governmental Authority on Development) and the AU’s peace and security council will seek to address at their meetings on Sunday and Monday.

About one million people have fled their homes, many after fierce fighting in
Mogadishu between Islamists and the Ethiopia-backed government forces.

Some three million people need food aid – about one-third of the population.

Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991, when warlords overthrew President Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other.

_______________________________ 1 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Le Président du GNT se rend au Kenya, accompagné de certains parlementaires pour rencontrer des diplomates africains. // Somali president travels to Kenya

Somali president Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed has left from baidoa to Kenya, officials said on Saturday.

The president accompanied by some Somali parliamentarians reached Nairobi and it said that he was going to meet African diplomats in Nairobi.

The journey of the president comes as Kenyan foreign minister Musas Wetangula said that his country was imposing sanctions on the Somali president and his family after Somali president sacked Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and nominated a new prime minister.

Wetangula said that Kenya only recognized Hussein as prime minister, saying Yusuf did not have the power to fire him.

Kenya was the venue of the two-year-long peace talks that formed Yusuf’s government in 2004.

Government Officials in Baidoa said the president is due to have a meeting with Kenyan president.

_______________________________ 1 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Les députés somaliens sont censés poursuivre la procédure de destitution du Président du GNT. // Somali Mps suppose to carry on president’s impeachment

The Somali parliaments are supposed to carry on the impeachments that they were against to the Somali president Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed in Biadoa town in Bay region on Saturday.

The Mps are going to come together in a meeting today in their parliamentary centre in Biadoa and desire to go ahead their motion against to the president of Somalia Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed for the following hours. As our correspondent in Biadoa reports.

The parliaments have called for the president to come and attend their meeting early on the past Wednesday but it is not clear whether the Somali president Abdullah Yusuf will attend the meeting which the parliament want to hold in the seat of the transitional government today.

The street that leads to the centre of the parliament in Biadoa has been closed and all the security of the town was highly tightened and all the movement of transportation and people have also been halted by the Somali government and Ethiopian troops as reports from Biadoa develops.

The people of town are feeling very high political situations between the high authorities of the transitional government and the meeting is supposed to be held by a time the prime minister of the Somali government Nur Hasan Husein ( Nur Adde) is absent in Djibouti.