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Presidents Bashir, Kibaki Jet In For IGAD Summit
Mwanguhya C. Mpagi
Kampala, October 24, 2003 (The Monitor): The 10th Inter-Governmental Authority on Development comes to an end in Kampala this weekend with President Yoweri Museveni assuming the chairmanship of the authority.
He will be taking over from his Sudanese counterpart Lt. Gen. Omar el-Bashir.
Bashir arrived in Kampala last evening for the summit of heads of state and government opening today.
President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya also jetted in yesterday. Seven Presidents are expected to attend the summit. IGAD brings together Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti.
Presidents Bashir and Museveni are not the very best of friends. Sudan accuses Uganda of supporting the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) that is fighting Bashir's government in southern Sudan, while Museveni accuses Bashir's government of supporting the Lord's Resistance Army rebels.
IGAD preparatory meetings, which included the ministers' council, ended their business yesterday. Speaking at the closing ceremony, Foreign minister James Wapakhabulo said the council had made progress on key issues to be discussed by the heads of state.
Wapakhabulo said that the Sudan peace process, in which Bashir's government is talking peace with Dr John Garang's SPLA in Kenya, was on track. He said, however, that the Somali peace negotiations, also taking place in Kenya, were still experiencing problems.
Sources at the meeting told The Monitor that the ministers had recommended that Museveni (the new chairman) should start work by summoning the 27 warring Somali parties to Kampala to sort out their internal problems first.
The source said that the internal factions in Somalia had nearly failed the process. The Interim National Government, which wants to represent Somalia's national position, had failed to agree with some of the other groups.
Meanwhile, a Somali warlord was yesterday detained in Kampala. He was picked from the central lobby on the first floor of the International Conference Center as he talked to journalists. He had allegedly gate crashed the IGAD meetings.
A uniformed UPDF officer arrested the warlord whom, The Monitor established, commands an area in South Kismayu in Somalia.
The man sported a long white beard. He was led away with his entourage of more than six people by soldiers and military intelligence agents.
Reporters were blocked from following the party that led him away.
He was taken to the Nile Hotel at around 3 p.m.
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