Elders remain committed to truce in Somali capital

Elders of the dominant clan in the Somali capital Mogadishu remain committed to a truce negotiated with Ethiopian military officials backing the government.

They will continue talks to broker a lasting peace, a spokesman for the elders said today.

Mogadishu’s truce has held since it took effect on Friday. On Saturday, talks between Ethiopian military officials and elders of the Hawiye clan to thrash out details of the truce reached an impasse, threatening the deal.

“We agreed … to maintain the cease-fire and continue talks toward peace and stability,” said Ahmed Diriye, the Hawiye clan spokesman.

In a statement released late yesterday, the elders also called on the immediate withdrawal of Ethiopian troops and asked that the Somali government troops leave Mogadishu for northern Somalia until a national army is formed.

Some hold that the Somali government troops are dominated by members of President Abdullahi Yusuf’s Darod clan, the main clan in the north-eastern semiautonomous region of Puntland that Yusuf led before becoming president of Somalia.

The elders did not threaten any action if their demands were not met and seemed to be willing to negotiation on the points. On Saturday, the elders had said that they wanted first to discuss political issues with Yusuf before any further disarmament of Mogadishu residents takes place.

The transitional government welcomed the elders commitment to the truce and will address complaints they have raised, said Interior Minister Mohamed Mohamud Guled.

“They are the traditional leaders and we are the political leaders of the country. We make a perfect match,” Guled said.