Issue 213

Baidoa, Somalia, February 18, 2006 – The moment of truth is fast approaching for the much delayed conference of Somalia ’s dysfunctional parliament that is supposed to take place on Feb. 26th. The would-be participants cannot agree even where exactly in Baidoa should the meeting be taking place. First it was said that the meeting will take place in a school building called “11 th of January”. Later, Sharif Hasan “the speaker of parliament” announced it would take place at a spot called “ADC”.

Various factions in the paper-government that goes by the name Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFGS) have set up their own committees to be in charge of this meeting. Ali Geedi “the prime minister”, for instance, has set up his own committee, which prompted one of Baidoa’s leaders, Ali Margus to say “Geedi needs a seminar so he could learn that parliamentary matters are not part of his job.” Sharif Hasan has also set up his own committee.

Different militias are either in, or on their way to Baidoa. The native people of Baidoa, the Digil and Midhifle, alone, have several militias, such as those of Shatigudud, those of Sheikh Adan Madoobe and those of Habsade. When you add to this the militias from Mogadishu and the ones that may come from Jawhar and other places, then you really have a dicey mix.

The foreign factor is also casting its shadow on the anticipated conference. A team of UN officials, mainly from the UNDP and UNICEF landed in Baidoa Thursday and stayed only for a few hours before flying back to Nairobi. This was the first time that UN officials visited Baidoa since they fled the town to escape from a deadly factional fight in 2002.

Yemen was reported to have delivered an arms shipment to one of the factions in Baidoa. Ethiopia has promised to help Somalia ’s government. And Mogdishu’s warlords have threatened war against any Ethiopian presence at the meeting.

Source: Somaliland Times

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