Somalia: The 22 December 1997 Peace accord in Mogadishu and subsequent developments

A 14 February 1998 article published in The Economist states that a peace agreement was signed in Cairo in December 1997 by the two main Somalian warring groups: the National Salvation Council (NSC) of Mr. Ali Mahdi and the Somali National Alliance (SNA) headed by Hussein Aideed, the son of the late General Muhammad Farah Aideed. Both groups represented the major "political clan-based groups". The article states that war lassitude and loss of support were the reasons that brought both parties to sign the agreement. The article indicates also that, unlike numerous agreements signed in the past, the Cairo agreement had better chances to survive since it provided for a new state structure and a transitional government. A national conference would "choose a 13-man council to elect a president and set up a transitional government" (ibid.). Out of the 465 members of the national conference, 80 would come from the Mahdi organization, 80 others from the Aideed organization, and the others would represent the other Somali clans (ibid.). The article reports also that opponents to Mr. Aideed and Mr. Mahdi, both Hawiye, feared that the new Somali state could be dominated by one powerful clan.

However, a 25 February 1998 AP report states that fighting between Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) and forces loyal to Hussein Aideed in the city of Baidoa threatened to delay the peace conference scheduled in that city for 31 March 1998 (see also AFP 30 Mar 1998)."RRA leaders insisted [Aideed] had to pull out troops from the town before the conference could start"(ibid.). The conference had already been postponed once (ibid.).

A 30 March 1998 AFP report states that, due to clashes between the RRA and members of the Aideed faction in Baidoa, the various Somali factions had decided to postpone the Baidoa national conference to 15 May 1998.

On 31 March 1998 AFP reported that the leaders of the two Mogadishu dominant factions had agreed to appoint an interim governor who would administer the capital Mogadishu with the help of six assistants. They also agreed to designate a team to administer the port and the airport of Mogadishu, to set up a unified police command and to appoint an independent regional judge.

A 4 April 1998 AFP report states that six people were killed and six others were wounded in confrontations between the RRA and Hussein Aideed's militiamen and a 7 April 1998 report from the Mogadishu Times states that Colonel Hasa Muhammad Nur, alias Shaati Gaduud, had told journalists that the RRA would not negotiate the withdrawal of Hussein Aideed's militiamen from Baidoa. The article quotes Hasan Muhammad Nur as saying that "[Hussein Aideed] did not come to Bay and Bakool Regions by way of dialogue, but by way of the bullet, and it will be by the way of the bullet that he will be made to leave."

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 4 April 1998. "Somalie-violence. Six morts dans des affrontements entre factions rivales près de Baidoa." ([email protected])

_____. 31 March 1998. "Somalie-politique. Accord sur l'établissement d'une autorité régionale à Mogadiscio." ([email protected])

_____. 30 March 1998. "Somalie-politique. La conférence de la réconciliation nationale en Somalie reportée au 15 mai." ([email protected])

Associated Press (AP). 25 February 1998. Haroun Hassan. "Renewed Fighting in Somalia Kills 23 People, Threatens Talks." (NEXIS)

The Economist [New York]. 14 February 1998. "Somalia. The Warlords Make Peace at Last." (NEXIS)

The Mogadishu Times [Mogadishu, in Somali]. 4 April 1998. "Rahaweyn Army Official Rules Out talks with Aideed." (BBC Summary 7 Apr. 1998/NEXIS)