From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sun Jan 11 2009 - 07:46:19 EST
Somalia:Somali opposition raps state, international community over Ethiopian withdrawal
11.01.2009
The [Djibouti based] Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia [ARS] has accused the international community and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia [TFG] over the delay in the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia.
Muhammad Ahmad Nur Tarsan, who is a member of the [Djibouti based] ARS, has accused the international community and the TFG of being responsible for the delay in the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia.
Tarsan said according to the Djibouti agreement, the TFG was to ask Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia.
He also accused the international community of not deploying the troops that were to replace Ethiopian troops as agreed in the Djibouti talks between the TFG and the Djibouti based ARS, which was brokered by the international community.
Muhammad Ahmad Nur said he was optimistic that Ethiopian troops will withdraw from Somalia. He also cautioned against any fighting [in Somalia] once the Ethiopian troops withdraw.
The statement by the Djibouti based ARS member comes at a time when there has been delay in the expected withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia as per the agreed time, although the Ethiopian government has brought carriers of military tanks in Mogadishu.
Somalia:Somali government accuses MPs of being an obstacle to Djibouti pact
11.01.2009
The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia [TFG] has accused some presidential candidates of being an obstacle to the unity of the Federal Somali parliament [the current TFG and that of the Somali opposition i.e the Djibouti based Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia ARS] and implementation of the Djibouti agreement.
The TFG minister of the public works and housing, Ibrahim Nur, in a press conference held in Mogadishu, said some members of the federal parliament who are competing for the presidency are an obstacle to election of a president by the TFG and the opposition and that they are also an obstacle to the implementation of the Djibouti agreement between the TFG and the Djibouti-based Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia.
The minister said these MPs who had caused the displacement of civilians from their homes are now an obstacle to a united parliament by both sides [The TFG and the opposition-Djibouti based ARS] and want the current parliament, [TFG only] whose term is almost ending to elect the new president.
The chairman of the Djibouti-based ARS, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad, had earlier warned that it is not wise to elect a president at this time, before the parliament on both sides are united.
The TFG minister also said Mogadishu had been relatively calm in the last few days as a result of the Djibouti agreement and the expected withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia.
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