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- From: antbh@strix.udac.uu.se (Bernhard Helander)
- Subject: Somalia News Update, Vol 2, No 1
- Message-ID: <1993Jan8.213016.3002@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Sender: news@mont.cs.missouri.edu
- Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Organization: Uppsala University
- Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 21:30:16 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 125
-
- In this issue:
- CHAOS AT THE ADDIS MEETING
- U.S. CHOPPERS STAGE AIR STRIKES ON AYDIID'S POSITIONS
- SWEDISH HOSPITAL TROOPS DEALAYED BY US ATTACK
- ____________________________________________________________________
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- S O M A L I A N E W S U P D A T E
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- ____________________________________________________________________
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- Vol 2, No 1 January 8, 1993. ISSN 1103-1999
-
- ____________________________________________________________________
- Somalia News Update is published irregularly via electronic mail and
- fax. Questions can be directed to antbh@strix.udac.uu.se or to fax
- number +46-18-151160. All material is free to quote as long as the
- source is stated.
- ____________________________________________________________________
-
-
- CHAOS AT THE ADDIS MEETING
-
- (SNU, Uppsala) Total confusion reigns at the meeting in Addis Ababa
- between representatives for 14 of the military factions. A communique
- is expected later on today, but, says one UN official, "it won't be
- earth-shattering". Although the conference's mandate was to simply
- outline the conditions for the real round of negotiations the
- representatives have found it hard to agree on anything. The only
- substantial agreement is the preparatory committee for the
- negotiations, for obvious reasons, should not be called a "technical
- committee".
- Most of the factions represented have argued for the next meeting
- to be held in April. However, SPM are said to favour the 10th of
- February. Despite previous communiques that all factions favour to
- have their next meeting in Mogadishu, the general impression of
- observers is that it will take place in Addis Ababa.
- The UN's involvement in the talks have been limited to
- photocopying press statements and paying the bills. As the conference
- had to be prolonged by two days the Ethiopian government apparently
- voluntered to pick up one day's worth of the escalating hotel bills.
- The UN euphemism for the warlord's gangs is "political parties".
- Apparently. some of the delagates have enjoyed their stay in the
- fancy Addis hotel. "Ali Mahdi's people couldn't wait to see the
- Marines' firestorm on CNN", says a UN source.
- No one seems to be expecting anything to come out of these talks.
- "The meeting", says a UN source, "abounds with mordant jokes about
- seeing each other againg in Uganda in 1997 for the next round of
- Somalia peace talks".
-
-
- U.S. CHOPPERS STAGE AIR STRIKES ON AYDIID'S POSITIONS
-
- (MOGADISHU, Somalia) - U.S. attack helicopters fired rockets at clan
- positions in Mogadishu early Thursday after U.S. troops were spurned
- in an attempt to confiscate armor and artillery. Cobra AH-1 gunships
- could be seen firing missiles into buildings in northern Mogadishu,
- targeting positions held by Gen. Mohamed Farrah Aidid, one of
- Somalia's two main warlords.
- The fighting appeared the most significant involving troops of
- Operation Restore Hope since they landed in Mogadishu on Dec. 9 and
- comes amid increasingly brazen skirmishing between gunmen from rival
- Somali factions.
- U.S. Marines had demanded that Aidid's forces surrender armor and
- artillery from a base in the northern suburbs, but they refused,
- Marine spokesman Col. Fred Peck told CNN. He said the Marines were
- ''sending a message'' that they won't tolerate the rising lawlessness
- of recent days.
- On Wednesday, a Marine patrol came under sniper fire in the area,
- and Peck said the local Aidid garrison had been told in advance that
- U.S. Marines would be paying them a visit first thing Thursday
- morning to confiscate weapons.
- Ali Mohamed Aden, a U.N. Children's Fund spokesman, said shots
- were exchanged between clan fighters and U.S. troops and Somali
- sources said there were casualties.
- It couldn't be immediately determined who suffered the
- casualties.
- The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said one of the
- targets was a former war college where Aidid had stockpiled weaponry.
- Shortly after dawn, rocket explosions thundered through the city
- as the Cobras fired several missiles at ground targets. Choppers
- continued to patrol the city well into the morning.
- Thursday's U.S. military operation appeared at least partly aimed
- at quelling criticism of a rapidly deteriorating security situation.
- The capital was relatively peaceful in the first few weeks after the
- Marines landed in Mogadishu to try to restore order to a chaotic land
- and stop the hijacking of food shipments intended for the starving.
- But Somalia's gunmen have been emboldened by the U.S.-led force's
- unwillingness to confiscate most weaponry in a country teeming with
- heavily armed militiamen and freelance bandits. Looters, clan
- fighters and gangs in this city are testing the limits of the U.S.
- mission as never before.
- U.S.-led forces came to the country to ensure the safe delivery
- of food and medicine for what Bush administration officials have
- characterized as a short-term mission. The U.S.-led force would then
- be replaced by a U.N. police force. But U.N. Secretary-General
- Boutros Boutros-Ghali and many Western relief agency officials say
- that if the Americans don't disarm Somalia's warring factions the
- country will quickly return to anarchy and starvation deaths will
- rise dramatically.
-
-
- SWEDISH HOSPITAL TROOPS DEALAYED BY US ATTACK
-
- (SNU, Uppsala). The Swedish hospital troops awoke suddenly Thursday
- morning as the US Cobras opened fire at the baracks of Aydiid less
- than one kilometre from the Swedish camp in the Northwestern part of
- Mogadishu.
- Meanwhile at Stockholm Airport (Arlanda) the USAF Galaxy
- allocated for the transport of the bulk of the Swedish staff and
- equipment was delayed pending a go-ahead from the Swedish commander
- in Mogadishu. The official reason was "engine difficulties". However,
- a mechanic at Arlanda denied that there was any problems with the
- plane.
- The hospital and the camp will now be fortified with sandbags,
- according to a military spokesman in Sodertalje, Sweden.
-
-
- ________________________________________________________________
- Posted by Bernhard Helander in Uppsala, Sweden.
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