www.chinaview.cn 2005-03-28 01:14:34
NAIROBI, March 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Heavy fighting over the weekend in the southwestern Somali town of Baidoa between militias has damaged hopes of an immediate return of the interim government based in Kenya, a member of parliament claimed here Monday.
Awad Ashara said the fighting which broke out in the major southwestern trading center Saturday between militias led by two lawmakers in Somalia's new parliament, Hassan Mohamed Nur Shargudud and Mohamed Ibrahim Habsadeh, has thrown the reconciliation and relocation efforts into doubt.
"Fighting is not a good development especially when the reconciliation process has just ended and when the new government is planning to return home from Kenya. This has put the latest efforts by government to relocate in jeopardy," Ashara told Xinhua by telephone.
The two Somali warlords have disagreed about where the new government, currently in exile in Kenya, should be established and the role of Ethiopian troops as peacekeepers to protect the interim government.
At least 14 people are reported to have been killed and more than 30 injured in two days of clashes.
The fighting broke out when Shargudud's militias attempted to organize a public demonstration of support for President AbdullahiYusuf Ahmed and his proposals in Baidoa when Habsadeh's men prevented it.
The confrontation deteriorated into heavy fighting with rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns and small arms on Saturday.
Ashara said the new developments must be fully investigated and culprits brought to justice if the new government will really relocate to the Horn of Africa nation.
"The government should investigate the latest fighting and punish the perpetrators if it hopes to return to Somalia," he noted.
He said the latest round of fighting makes it appear unlikely that the interim government will be going back to Somalia from the Kenyan capital soon.
President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed have suggested setting up the new government in Baidoa or another place because the capital Mogadishu is too dangerous.
Yusuf has also called for Ethiopian and other regional peacekeepers to protect the new government.
Habsadeh and other Somali leaders who consider Ethiopia an enemy have rejected both proposals, causing a split among the warlords who took part in the peace process to form the new government.
Baidoa is now in the hands of the militias led by Habsadeh.
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