07/05/09 (B497) Nouvelles de Somalie … (5 articles en Anglais et en Français)

_________________________ 5 – All Africa avec Garowe (En Anglais)

Les milices Al Shebaab continueront la guerre, même si les troupes de l’U.A. se retirent. // Somalia: Al Shabaab to ‘Continue War’ Even If African Union Withdraws

Islamist hardliners in southern Somalia have vowed that the ongoing war will continue whether or not African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) withdraw from Somalia, Radio Garowe reports.

Sheikh Hassan Yakub, spokesman for the Al Shabaab rulers in the southern port of Kismayo, told reporters Wednesday that Al Shabaab "intends to stop sin."

"The ongoing war in the country [Somalia] is a jihad that will not stop even if AMISOM leaves, because our war is not only against them [AMISOM] but also against the government of [Somali President] Sheikh Sharif," Sheikh Yakub said.

Al Shabaab

He compared Sheikh Sharif to ex-Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, saying: "It will not happen that we will stop the war against Sheikh Sharif when we fought against Abdullahi Yusuf, who also had a constitution."

The Al Shabaab spokesman in Kismayo said the jihad was "ordered by Allah [God] and His Messenger" [Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him] and will continue "until there is no obstacle to Islamic rule."

Last month, Somalia’s parliament passed Islamic Shari’ah law as the country’s national legislation, largely seen as a move to appease the armed opposition of Islamists.

But Islamist hardliners have rejected the Shari’ah law vote, accusing President Sheikh Sharif of being a puppet of the West.

The Government of National Unity was created in Jan. 2009 after the Transitional Federal Government and the opposition faction Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia merged at the conclusion of U.N.-endorsed peace talks.

The new government still functions under the 2004 Transitional Federal Charter, with legal experts raising concern about how to harmonize the secular charter with Shari’ah law.

Somali government officials have publicly and privately assured Western nations and the world-at-large that the Shari’ah law passed by the parliament in April will not be the "harsh version" desired by Islamist hardliners, like Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam.

The U.S. government considers Al Shabaab to be a terrorist organization.

Somalia has been mired in armed conflict since the outbreak of civil war in 1991.

President Sheikh Sharif’s interim government is the 15th attempt to restore national order with the help of the international community.

_________________________ 4 – All Africa avec Garowe (En Anglais)

Un conseiller du principal opposant, le Cheick Aweys accuse le Ministre somalien de la sécurité d’inciter à la guerre dans la Capitale Mogadiscio. // Somalia: Aweys’ Advisor Accuses Security Minister of ‘Inciting War’

A political advisor to Somali opposition figure Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has accused Somali Security Minister Omar Hashi of "inciting war" in the capital Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reports.

Abdulkadir Mohamud Dhakane, the political advisor to Sheikh Aweys, made the comment while in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.).

"Omar Hashi is using his mouth to incite war in Mogadishu and he is known for this," Mr. Dhakane said, adding: "In the early 1990s, he [Hashi] was among those who started the [civil] war that cost lives and property and he was on the side of Ali Mahdi."

But the Security Minister denied the accusations, telling reporters Tuesday that he is "surprised" by Mr. Dhakane’s comments.

"I know Dhakane very well and we were in Eritrea together…he was a troublemaker who divided the Alliance," Security Minister Hashi said, while referring to the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).

The Eritrea-based ARS divided into two camps in mid-2008, with the camp led by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed joining the peace process and the opposition group led by Sheikh Aweys rejecting the peace talks.

Security Minister Hashi, who was part of Sheikh Sharif’s ARS camp, reiterated earlier accusations that the Eritrean government imported weapons into Somalia.

Unconfirmed reports from U.A.E. tell Garowe Online that arrangements are being made to hold face-to-face talks between representatives from the Somali government and the ARS opposition faction.

_________________________ 3 – All Africa avec Garowe (En Anglais)

Selon un reportage de Garowe, l’opposition ferait entrer des armes lourdes à Mogadiscio. // Somalia: Opposition ‘Pours Weapons Into Mogadishu’

Somali opposition factions are pouring heavy weaponry into the capital Mogadishu, where African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) are helping prop up a weak interim government, Radio Garowe reports.

Military sources and residents in Mogadishu said missiles, armed trucks and munitions have been transported to the capital over the past two days.

Heavy weapons were seen entering Mogadishu from Daynile district, located in the outskirts of the capital. Some of the weaponry was stationed in the district and other weapons were spread out to opposition strongholds in Mogadishu, the sources added.

It is not clear where the weapons are coming from, but insiders speculated that the weapons are arriving from Lower Jubba and Lower Shabelle, both regions under the control of Al Shabaab.

A source close to Hizbul Islam, another opposition faction, said the armed group is "preparing for all-out war" against AMISOM peacekeepers and the Somali interim government.

The arrival of heavy weapons in Mogadishu comes on a week Somali government officials have accused the Eritrean government of transporting a planeload of weapons to a military airstrip in Lower Shabelle region.

___________________________ 2 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Le gouvernement somalien lance un appel à la communauté internationale pour qu’elle fasse cesser les interventions de l’Erythrée sur son sol. // Somali government calls for the word to intervene “Eritrea’ meddling”

Somalia’s government has called Tuesday for the International community to stop “Eritrea’s intervention.”

On Sunday, Somalia minister for National Security Omar Hashi Aden, blamed Asmara for sending two arms consignments by two aircrafts that landed at Belli Dogle south of Mogadishu.

Farhan Ali Mohamud, Somalia’s information held a press conference in the Somali capital Mogadishu and called for the International Community to intervene what he called problems that Asmara is causing inside Somalia.

The minister said that the government of Eritrea trains rebels who are against to the Somali government and imported weapons to Somalia. He added that rebels brought arms shipments from Eritrea and landed in 50km and Belli Dogle airstrips.

He said that Eritrea was the only government that opposes the Somali government and called for Eritrea to stop meddling about Somali internal affairs.


____________________________ 1 – Le Point avec AFP


Somalie: un soldat de la paix burundais "assassiné"

Un soldat burundais de la force de paix de l’Union africaine en Somalie (Amisom) a été "assassiné" mardi (bien: mardi) en Somalie, a rapporté mercredi l’UA dans un communiqué, dénonçant un "acte lâche"

Un soldat burundais de la force de paix de l’Union africaine en Somalie (Amisom) a été "assassiné" mardi en Somalie, a rapporté mercredi l’UA dans un communiqué, dénonçant un "acte lâche".

"Le président de la Commission de l’UA Jean Ping condamne fermement l’assassinat, le 5 mai 2009 à Mogadiscio, d’un soldat du contingent burundais de l’Amisom", indique le texte sans préciser les circonstances de ce meurtre.

M. Ping "souligne que cet acte lâche, perpétré par des éléments armés cherchant à saper le processus de paix et de réconciliation, ne dissuadera en rien l’UA de poursuivre ses efforts et son appui aux parties et au peuple somaliens dans leur quête d’une paix et d’une réconciliation durables".

Présentant "ses sincères condoléances à la famille du défunt, ainsi qu’au peuple et au Gouvernement burundais", M. Ping "réitère son appréciation au personnel de l’Amisom pour son dévouement et sens du sacrifice".

Depuis le retrait total en janvier de l’armée éthiopienne qui soutenait les forces du gouvernement de transition, l’Amisom – déployée à Mogadiscio depuis mars 2007 – est la seule force étrangère présente en Somalie.

Composée de 4.300 soldats burundais et ougandais, elle est régulièrement la cible d’attaques de la part des insurgés islamistes qui la considèrent comme "une force d’occupation".

Fin avril, l’un des plus hauts responsables islamistes somaliens, cheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, rentré depuis peu en Somalie après deux ans d’exil en Erythrée, avait une nouvelle fois exigé le départ de l’Amisom, préalable selon lui à toute discussion avec l’actuel gouvernement somalien.

"J’appelle les forces étrangères à quitter notre pays (…). Elles n’ont rien à faire ici et nous les voyons comme une bactérie qui fait dérailler tout processus de paix que la Somalie pourrait engager", avait-il déclaré.

Onze soldats burundais de l’Amisom avaient été tués et 15 blessés le 22 février dans un attentat suicide contre leur camp à Mogadiscio, l’attaque la plus meurtrière commise contre l’Amisom depuis son déploiement en mars 2007.

Echaudés par les interventions militaires américaine et de l’ONU dans les années 90 qui s’étaient soldées par des déroutes, les Occidentaux se gardent pour l’instant d’envisager une nouvelle opération terrestre pour ramener la paix, en dépit des appels pressants de l’UA à prendre le relais.

La Somalie est en guerre civile depuis la chute du président Mohamed Siad Barre en 1991.