U.N. council scolds Somalia's squabbling factions

By Irwin Arieff

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council scolded Somalia's squabbling government on Wednesday, urging rival factions to come together to confront the chaos and piracy plaguing the lawless northeast African nation.

A unanimous council statement condemned Sunday's failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi. It expressed disappointment with Somalia's "non-functioning" parliament and said it was unacceptable for any faction to resort to military force to settle differences.

The council also expressed "serious concern" over a wave of pirate attacks off the Somali coast and called on regional powers and international organizations to "work together to address this problem."

Somalia's struggling new Transitional Federal Government welcomed the council statement, which "fully supports our position," said Deputy U.N. Ambassador Idd Beddel Mohamed.

"This is a demonstration of the international community's commitment to support the position of the prime minister of Somalia," Mohamed told Reuters.

The new government, formed at peace talks in Kenya in 2004, is Somalia's 14th attempt to reinstate central government since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

But a rift has pitted dissident ministers, the parliamentary speaker and some deputies in Mogadishu against the prime minister, the president and most of the cabinet members, based in the town of Jowhar 55 miles (90 km) to the north.

The Security Council urged all parties to try to reach a consensus on moving forward and praised the prime minister's call for a meeting of the full cabinet in Mogadishu. This is to be followed by a meeting of the parliament.

The council statement pressed the transitional authorities to complete a blueprint for national security and stabilization so plans could go ahead for an international peacekeeping force.

Somalia's U.N. ambassador, Elmi Ahmed Duale, urged the council on Tuesday to ease a U.N. arms embargo on his country so the African Union and neighboring states could help it create a police force to begin restoring law and order.

But Francois Lonseny Fall, the U.N. special representative for Somalia, said the embargo would not stop the creation of a police force and predicted that task would proceed with the council's support.