Mogadishu, July 12 (AFP) – A Somali warlord ousted from his stronghold last month by Islamic militia has thrown his lot in with the country’s largely powerless transitional government, an official said on Wednesday.
Mohamed Dheere arrived at the seat of the government in the town of Baidoa on Tuesday and pledged his backing to the administration as it struggled to assert authority over Islamist challenges, he said.
Dheere held talks with President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed in Baidoa, about 250km north-west of Mogadishu, turned over some weapons to the government and vowed his support, a government spokesman said.
“He arrived here yesterday and held talks with the president,” Abdirahman Mohamed Nur Dinari said from Baidoa. “Mr Dheere agreed to rejoin the government and support it.”
“He has agreed to hand over some of his remaining weapons and fighters,” Dinari said, adding that Dheere was welcomed because he and the government “have a very special relationship.”
Dheere, a member of a vanquished US-backed alliance of warlords, lost his power base in the town of Jowhar, 90km north of Mogadishu, in June when fighters loyal to him were ousted by the Islamists.
Jowhar had been the first seat of the transitional government when last year it left its home in exile in Kenya where it was created in 2004 in the latest bid to restore stability to Somalia which has been in chaos since 1991.
In 2004, Dheere gave up his seat in Somalia’s parliament to Ali Mohamed Gedi, allowing him to become prime minister.
Between June 2005 and February 2006, Dheere hosted Yusuf, Gedi and other top government officials in Jowhar until they relocated to Baidoa.
Dheere rejoined the government a day when hardline Islamists cemented their victory in Mogadishu, defeating the US-backed warlord Abdi Hassan Awale Qeydiid after two days clashes that claimed around 100 lives.
Source: AFP, July 12, 2006
