Monday, September 04, 2006
Reuters
Somalia’s interim government and the country’s powerful rival Islamist administration have agreed in principle to create a joint military force, a step towards creating stability in the country.
The two sides in Arab League-mediated talks agreed on Monday: “To build armed forces like an army and police including forces from the Islamic courts, the government and other militias in the country.” Details of how this would be done were to be agreed by the two sides after a political solution was reached. Violence continued Meanwhile, 10 people were killed in fighting between police and militia fighters in the Somali town of Baidoa, the current seat of the national government. Several other people were wounded in the clashes that police say were unrelated to the peace talks being held in Sudan between Somalia’s weak transitional government and the country’s increasingly powerful Islamic movement. Police say they moved to evict fighters who had set up at Baidoa’s airport after having been dismissed as airport security workers. Ali Mohamed Gedi, the prime minister, said he and his government regretted the incident, but said it had been necessary to ensure safety at the airport. He said: “The government has plans to set up a camp at the airport, which the militiamen had occupied. “We want policemen to take control of the airport.” Earlier, police and witnesses said 12 people – seven fighters and five government security forces – had been killed in the incident. Source: Reuters, Sept 4, 2006
Late on the third day of talks, the fragile interim government and representatives of a Mogadishu-based Islamist movement agreed to reconvene on October 30 for power-sharing talks on political and security issues.
