UN Envoy hopes displaced return to Mogadishu
Date: 22 May 2009 | Source: United Nations Radio
Thousands of people have fled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, following
two weeks of intense fighting between government forces and
opposition groups.
ABDALLAH: My understanding is that the legal authorities, the
government, have now decided to address the insecurity put in some
neighbourhoods of Mogadishu, the capital, by the remnants of those
who attempted a coup against the authorities last week. There are other
elements, but it is early for me to assess the situation. But I consider it
an internal police operation.
PENN: Do we know anything about these elements who had launched
the coup? Do we know who they are?
ABDALLAH: My understanding (is) they are an alliance of three
elements: one is the extremist Islamists who have been organizing
themselves when their colleagues were fighting the government of
Abdullah Yusuf. Second, it is a number of foreign fighters whose
number is estimated around 300, and those who were regrouping
themselves with a Colonel Aweys who was in Eritrea and returned in
Somalia on the 23rd April. So it is an alliance between these elements:
sometimes moving together, sometimes opposing each other. This is my
reading of this situation.
PENN: We understand that over the past couple of weeks as a result
there is intense fighting in the capital, thousands too flee. Can you tell us
about these people?
ABDALLAH: This is a very interesting question, and it is very
unfortunate that those who waged this latest violence in trying to take
the power illegally have been themselves on the run. They left Somalia
to seek refuge overseas. And when through peaceful negotiation the
present government helped to stabilize the situation, many of the IDPs-
internally displaced persons-returned. About 70,000 returned. And
because the violence starting the last 10 days by those who fled
overseas, many of the IDPs have fled again; about 40,000, from what I
was told, have fled as IDPs. I hope they will return soon with the
betterment of the situation.
PENN: And sir, where have these people fled to? Have they left the
country or are they still in Somalia?
ABDALLAH: They are for the time being just on the outskirts of the
capital. They are not far, trying to see. But they are poor and it has been
very difficult for them and they may have to rejoin the flow of refugees.
And again, it is not helpful for the country which has suffered from two
decades of violence.
PENN: We also heard reports that Ethiopian troops, who were
previously in the country have now returned to Somalia. Do you have
any information on that?
ABDALLAH: What I have as information is that Ethiopian troops have
left Somalia on 15 January. And many Somalis, when we were
discussing with them, told us we would not fight the day Ethiopia
leaves. So Ethiopia left on 15 January. I must say, I'm very shocked
that Somalis still kill Somalis. My understanding is there are no Ethiopian
troops in Mogadishu. I heard that there are some movements of troops
on the border. It has never been confirmed by Ethiopia, but it is normal
if Kenya or Ethiopia puts security forces on alert on the border to avoid
the flow of refugees or spillover. But Ethiopia has not confirmed. On the
contrary, they have denied any presence of their security forces in
Somalia or near Somalia.
PENN: If you could just explain to our listeners what role the UN plays
there in Somalia, and what we are doing to assist the people?
ABDALLAH: The United Nations, on instruction of Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, considers Somalia a priority. The Secretary-General a few
weeks after his taking over his responsibilities has said and told me
Somalia is a priority. In addition to the particular role he is encouraging
me to take which led to the agreement of Djibouti, UN as a family is
active in providing assistance to the Somalis: whatever for refugees,
whatever for IDPs, whatever for food and medicine, education. In a
very difficult environment UN is trying to do the best it can.
PENN: Unfortunately the situation in Somalia it just seems to just
continue on with internal fighting. I hate to say that it seems quite
hopeless to some extent. I don't know if that is something you would
comment on?
ABDALLAH: I don't think the situation is hopeless. It is a long-running
conflict. We have a number of similar conflicts in Liberia, and the
tragedy in Somalia is the central government has been very weak. We
are seeing how to help. And this is what is happening with the Djibouti
agreement. We have the beginning of a government credible; we have to
help it be functional, and we are working closely with IGAD which is a
regional organization and with the African Union. No, I think it is a very
tough job, a very difficult situation. But it is not hopeless-and it may in
fact work!
PRES: Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah is the Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General for Somalia.
Courtesy
Date: 22 May 2009 | Source: United Nations Radio
Thousands of people have fled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, following
two weeks of intense fighting between government forces and
opposition groups.
- UN humanitarian agencies and their partners are also
affected by the fighting: the insecurity means they are
unable to deliver food and other desperately needed aid.
To find out more about what is happening in Somalia, UN
Radio's Dianne Penn spoke to the UN Envoy for the
country, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah.
ABDALLAH: My understanding is that the legal authorities, the
government, have now decided to address the insecurity put in some
neighbourhoods of Mogadishu, the capital, by the remnants of those
who attempted a coup against the authorities last week. There are other
elements, but it is early for me to assess the situation. But I consider it
an internal police operation.
PENN: Do we know anything about these elements who had launched
the coup? Do we know who they are?
ABDALLAH: My understanding (is) they are an alliance of three
elements: one is the extremist Islamists who have been organizing
themselves when their colleagues were fighting the government of
Abdullah Yusuf. Second, it is a number of foreign fighters whose
number is estimated around 300, and those who were regrouping
themselves with a Colonel Aweys who was in Eritrea and returned in
Somalia on the 23rd April. So it is an alliance between these elements:
sometimes moving together, sometimes opposing each other. This is my
reading of this situation.
PENN: We understand that over the past couple of weeks as a result
there is intense fighting in the capital, thousands too flee. Can you tell us
about these people?
ABDALLAH: This is a very interesting question, and it is very
unfortunate that those who waged this latest violence in trying to take
the power illegally have been themselves on the run. They left Somalia
to seek refuge overseas. And when through peaceful negotiation the
present government helped to stabilize the situation, many of the IDPs-
internally displaced persons-returned. About 70,000 returned. And
because the violence starting the last 10 days by those who fled
overseas, many of the IDPs have fled again; about 40,000, from what I
was told, have fled as IDPs. I hope they will return soon with the
betterment of the situation.
PENN: And sir, where have these people fled to? Have they left the
country or are they still in Somalia?
ABDALLAH: They are for the time being just on the outskirts of the
capital. They are not far, trying to see. But they are poor and it has been
very difficult for them and they may have to rejoin the flow of refugees.
And again, it is not helpful for the country which has suffered from two
decades of violence.
PENN: We also heard reports that Ethiopian troops, who were
previously in the country have now returned to Somalia. Do you have
any information on that?
ABDALLAH: What I have as information is that Ethiopian troops have
left Somalia on 15 January. And many Somalis, when we were
discussing with them, told us we would not fight the day Ethiopia
leaves. So Ethiopia left on 15 January. I must say, I'm very shocked
that Somalis still kill Somalis. My understanding is there are no Ethiopian
troops in Mogadishu. I heard that there are some movements of troops
on the border. It has never been confirmed by Ethiopia, but it is normal
if Kenya or Ethiopia puts security forces on alert on the border to avoid
the flow of refugees or spillover. But Ethiopia has not confirmed. On the
contrary, they have denied any presence of their security forces in
Somalia or near Somalia.
PENN: If you could just explain to our listeners what role the UN plays
there in Somalia, and what we are doing to assist the people?
ABDALLAH: The United Nations, on instruction of Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, considers Somalia a priority. The Secretary-General a few
weeks after his taking over his responsibilities has said and told me
Somalia is a priority. In addition to the particular role he is encouraging
me to take which led to the agreement of Djibouti, UN as a family is
active in providing assistance to the Somalis: whatever for refugees,
whatever for IDPs, whatever for food and medicine, education. In a
very difficult environment UN is trying to do the best it can.
PENN: Unfortunately the situation in Somalia it just seems to just
continue on with internal fighting. I hate to say that it seems quite
hopeless to some extent. I don't know if that is something you would
comment on?
ABDALLAH: I don't think the situation is hopeless. It is a long-running
conflict. We have a number of similar conflicts in Liberia, and the
tragedy in Somalia is the central government has been very weak. We
are seeing how to help. And this is what is happening with the Djibouti
agreement. We have the beginning of a government credible; we have to
help it be functional, and we are working closely with IGAD which is a
regional organization and with the African Union. No, I think it is a very
tough job, a very difficult situation. But it is not hopeless-and it may in
fact work!
PRES: Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah is the Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General for Somalia.
Courtesy
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