Assassination Attempt on President Fails; 6 Killed

Yet another close call for the Somali President Yusuf. After numerous attempt in Baidoa over the last year, including one with car bombs that killed his brother, this attempt comes in Mogadishu where he is attempting to reestablish the city as the TFG's capitol. What is interesting to learn from this article is that the ICU will play no part in next month's national reconciliation talks.

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Somalia's President 'Abdullahi Yusuf returned on Tuesday to the capital Mogadishu for the first time since June last year, and was welcomed with an attempt on his life, the local SomaliNet news agency reported. Around seven rockets were fired toward the presidential palace. Two rockets landed in the palace itself, but there were no reports on casualties from within the palace.

A few rockets landed out of the palace in the village of Sheikh Soufi; six civilians were killed and there a number were wounded.

The Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) was defeated in January this year by the Somali interim government forces and the Ethiopian army. Nevertheless, armed men affiliated with the SCIC managed to remain in the capital when the battles ended.

The Somali government will return to Mogadishu next week. Preparations for a national reconciliation conference are under way. The SCIC will not be invited to the conference, which is scheduled to begin on April 16.

http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=17046

Govt votes to move to Mogadishu

In a much anticipated vote, the Somali government is officially headed to Mogadishu. When? Who knows. But it's another step in the right direction, and toward further legitimacy, but there is still much to do.
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BAIDOA, Somalia, March 12 (Reuters) - Somalia's interim government voted overwhelmingly on Monday to move to Mogadishu, two months after neighbouring Ethiopia's military helped it rout a rival Islamic movement from the volatile coastal capital.

The administration is desperate to impose its authority on the whole Horn of Africa country after being confined to the south central town of Baidoa since its creation in 2004. But near-daily insurgent attacks in Mogadishu have delayed the move.

"A motion to move the government to Mogadishu has passed today in Baidoa after 171 members of parliament (MPs) voted in favour of it, while nine opposed and 10 abstained," MP Abdi Abdulle Said told Reuters after the ballot. It was not immediately clear when the move would take place.

On Sunday, the government's deputy defence minister, Salad Ali Jele, pledged to pacify the capital within a month using newly trained security forces to tackle insurgents who have targeted peacekeepers, the government and its Ethiopian allies.

The Ethiopians are to make way for African Union troops who began arriving in Mogadishu last week. More than 1,000 Ugandans have landed -- and been attacked in at least two assaults by guerrillas, thought to include defeated Islamist fighters.

In Baidoa on Monday, President Abdullahi Yusuf told parliament his government was making advanced preparations for a long-awaited national reconciliation conference. Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi would travel to Kenya soon to meet donors and seek funds for the meeting, Yusuf added.

Catholic Bishops' Short-sidedness

Despite having nearly 80 years of work completely wiped out by the civil war and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism within Somalia over the last 15 years, the Catholic church has failed once again to make a strong statement on behalf of the persecuted Somali Christian minority in the Horn of Africa.

Although in this week's announcement statement pushing for peace and reconciliation in Somalia and the Horn, they remained silent on the plight of persecuted Christians in these areas. The dilemma they will soon face is that if the proposed reconciliation in Somalia occurs with the involvement of the Islamic Courts, then they would essentially be supporting the further repression of religious freedom and the continued persecution and elimination of the Christian minority.

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Somalia: AMECEA Bishops Call for Peace

From: Catholic Information Service for Africa

Catholic bishops from the AMECEA region of Africa have called for collective efforts to bring lasting peace to Somali and the entire Horn of Africa.

In a communiqué issued at the end of their Executive Board meeting, in Nairobi at the AMECEA Secretariat from 7th to 8th March 2007, the bishops said that peace "can flourish only when all recognize that everyone is responsible for promoting it".

"We would like to assure you and the entire people of Somalia that we pray for peace and reconciliation so that there can be more hope for having life in fullness "the bishops said in a message of solidarity sent to Rt. Rev. Giorgio Bertini, OFM, Bishop of Djibouti and Apostolic Administrator of Somalia.

"It is the wish and desire of AMECEA Bishops that reconciliation, justice and peace prevail within the Horn of Africa. Indeed, this will be our main theme for our next 16th Plenary Assembly that will take place in Zambia next year," their statement dated March 9 read in part.

The bishops pledged to contribute to the efforts of bringing peace and reconciliation within the Region in the communiqué signed by among others, Cardinals Polycarp Pengo of Tanzania, Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Sudan and Bishop Paul Bakyenga, chairman of AMECEA.

They stressed the importance of lobbying and advocacy with governments in the Region in order to ensure that the voice of the Church is heard on matters affecting the Great Lakes Region.

"In view of the peace situation in the region, the Executive Board reflected and deliberated on the relationship between Eritrea and Ethiopia and the fighting and peace keeping effort in Somalia," their statement continued.

They stressed the need to understand the real problem in these countries instead of relying on the media because the problems are not as simple.

"During this Lenten Season and Easter celebration later, we call upon all Catholics and all people of good will to pray for peace in the Great Lake Region and the Horn of Africa. Let us all work and pray for lasting peace and reconciliation in the world," they concluded.

Others in the meeting included Archbishop John Njue, Bishop Aaron Chisha, Bishop Cornelius Korir and Bishop Mengsteab Tesfamariam. Bishop Joseph Mkasa Zuza and Alfred Maluma also signed the statement.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200703090862.html

Eritrea's Stupidity

Once again, the leadership in Eritrea is flexing its 'stupid' muscle. Trying its best to garner the silver medal in the 'worst regimes of Africa' campaign (behind clear gold medal shoo-in Zimbabwe), Eritrea has come out this week warning Ugandan peace-keeping troops to leave Somalia or face "dire consequences."

As pointed out by Ugandan leadership, the newly arrived troops, are under the joint mandate of the African Union and the United Nations. This continued foot-in-the-mouth syndrome of Eritrean leadership is not only making a mockery of the fine people of Eritrea, but continuing to marginalize this desperately poor country from needed international support.
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Somalia: Eritrea Warns Uganda to Leave Somalia

by: Henry Mukasa
www.allAfrica.com

ERITREA on Friday warned Uganda to pull its peacekeeping force out of Somalia immediately, warning of "dire consequences" if they remain.

"We believe that the government of Uganda must rectify its error and pull out of Somalia, otherwise the situation will become increasingly dangerous," Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu said.

"It will not only worsen but will become a war between the Somali people and external forces. That will have dire consequences for the whole region."

In a reaction, UPDF spokesman Paddy Ankunda told New Vision by telephone: "Eritrea has no right to demand that we withdraw. Unless they are claiming they are not part of the African Union. We received a mandate, not only from the AU but also from the UN."

The Ugandans have been attacked since landing in the capital on Tuesday. Mortars exploded close to Mogadishu airport during the hand-over ceremony and two were wounded in an ambush the following day. And yesterday evening, a landmine was discovered on the road leading to the airport.

Earlier on Friday, a cargo plane carrying military equipment and six UPDF soldiers for the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia caught fire as it landed in Mogadishu.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear and no casualties were reported.

"The plane carried military equipment and some six soldiers and everything is safe now. We highly believe that the fire was due to some technical problems," Ankunda, said.

The airport remained closed most of the day and all traffic was diverted to other destinations. One plane carrying additional UPDF soldiers returned to Uganda, according to a source at Entebbe airport.

Meanwhile, the death toll of Wednesday's clash between the UPDF and Somali gunmen has risen to at least 13. A Ugandan convoy that drove out to protect the transitional government came under mortar attack.

"The mortar missed, smashing a restaurant nearby," explained Ahmed. "In the attack and the subsequent exchange of fire, 13 to 15 civilians were killed and 20 wounded."

Ankunda confirmed the civilian casualties. "It is true, a lot of people were killed in that attack," he said. "The mortar which missed our vehicle landed straight into the restaurant. That is why our vehicle managed to drive through."

Two UPDF soldiers were injured. Private Robert Bamutaraki and Lt. Michael Wandera, who were hit by shrapnel in the leg and the arm, were flown back to Uganda on Thursday morning.

The AU is still investigating the incident. A radical Muslim youth group, calling itself the Islamic Courts Movement, has threatened to wage 'Jihad' or holy war against the peacekeeping force.

Around 1,000 of the 1,700 Ugandan soldiers had by yesterday arrived in the Somali capital. Their task is to protect the transitional government and the government institutions and to train the Somali army.

The Ugandans are also deploying tanks in Somalia. A dozen of them were loaded onto a freighter late on Thursday at the Kenyan port of Mombasa, where they were shipped by train.

Analysts say the peacekeeping force are targets because they are foreigners in a land known for its xenophobia and are seen as supporting a government that has many enemies in Mogadishu.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200703100131.html