Big welcome for Somalia PM at home (From Kenya's Sunday Nation)
Story by MARK AGUTU in Mogadishu Publication Date: 05/01/2005
Somalia Prime Minister Ali Gedi received a tumultuous welcome in his first official visit to capital Mogadishu since his appointment.
Huge crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the second topmost official of their Nairobi-based government lined up the streets of the battle-scarred city clapping and waving twigs as the long convoy arrived amid tight security by heavily armed loyal militia groups.
Prof Gedi, who took office late last year, is in his homeland to woo back three members of the cabinet and a group of loyal MPs who moved to Somalia a few weeks ago following differences over the choice of Mogadishu as the seat of government.
The PM is accompanied by a team of diplomats from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) and those from Arab League countries. Kenya’s ambassador to Somalia Mohammed Affey is also in the team.
The two renegade members of the cabinet are National Security minister Qanyare Afrah and his Commerce counterpart, Mousa Sudi Yalahow, both of whom are rooting for Mogadishu to be retained as the capital.
Information minister Mohammud Abdullahi Sifir who comes from Somaliland, backs his two colleagues.
Having the three ministers back in the fold is crucial for Prof Gedi’s government, which is out to win over the city’s warlords and pave way for the move back home, which is now months behind schedule, a source in the PM’s delegation told the /Sunday Nation/ in Mogadishu.
Prof Gedi also comes from Mogadishu – from the dominant Hawiye clan.
On March 17, the 74-member cabinet voted to transfer the government temporarily to Baidoa, 250km southwest of Mogadishu, and Jowhar - 90 km north of the city - as the country’s legislative and executive capitals in that order.
Under the arrangement, Mogadishu is to remain the government’s operation office from where it will manage its daily activities, key among them the demobilisation of the militias.
The cabinet’s decision was made by the current state of affairs in Mogadishu, currently under the control of bands of militias headed by seasoned warlords.
The disarmament of the militias is one of the main challenges facing the new government, which prompted President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed to ask the African Union and Igad member states to deploy a peace-keeping force to help to create a Somali police force and army.
The PM and his team arrived in Mogadishu late on Friday afternoon, having landed at KM 50 Airport, which is about 50km out of the city. and he was met by a large crowd. He inspected a guard of honour mounted by the loyal militias
The long convoy, sandwiched between gun-mounted "technicals" then snaked its way to Mogadishu as crowds gathered at spots along the route cheered.
Later, the PM addressed a brief meeting at the now deserted headquarters of the Social Revolution Party in the first part of his itinerary, which includes a series of meetings with various groups.
He assured them that his government would involve them in making decisions on all key issues affecting the country, and asked them to unite and help to rebuild the country.
Government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari told the /Sunday Nation/ that the PM would be meeting religious leaders, elders and youth and women groups and scholars.
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