Somali opposition to hold parallel peace conference in Eritrea

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 13, 2007 - Somali opposition members based in Eritrea said Wednesday they will hold a parallel peace conference in direct competition with the Somali government, which is planning to hold peace talks in Mogadishu.

The aim of the opposition conference, to be held in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, on Sept. 1, is to “form a coalition whose objective is to liberate the country” from Ethiopia, which is defending the current government, the group said in a statement.

The opposition group plans to bring together an ousted Islamic movement, a dozen parliamentarians, civil society groups and the Somali Diaspora. Politicians, traditional elders, religious leaders and businessmen in and outside Somalia are allowed to take part in the conference, said Yusuf Hassan Ibrahim, the chairman of the preparatory committee of the conference.

A government-inspired reconciliation conference is scheduled for July 15 in Mogadishu to help heal the wounds of 16 years of conflict.

But the conference, envisioned as a chance for elders to deal with clan grievances, falls short, in the view of some because it will not address the makeup of the government or its policies.

The Council of Islamic Courts ruled Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia for six months last year before being pushed out. But insurgents linked to the group have vowed to launch an Iraq-style guerrilla war unless the country becomes an Islamic state.

Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned against one another. The government was formed in 2004 with the help of the United Nations, but has struggled to assert any real control.