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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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March 18th,
2007 - Ex-Warlords Invited to Addis Ababa |
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Ex-Warlords Invited to Addis
Ababa Garowe Online March 18, 2007, 11:59:01 AM Mogadishu, Somalia - Several
of Mogadishu’s notorious ex-warlords have been invited to visit the Ethiopian
capital, confidential sources said. Four of the ex-warlords –
Mohamed Qanyare, Muse Sudi Yalahow, Botan Isse and Omar Filish – are now all
members of the interim Somali Parliament. Two other ex-warlords –
Mohamed “Dhere” Omar Habeb and Abdi “Waal” Nuur – hold no publicized
government positions, but will travel to Addis Ababa alongside their
comrades. Sources said Ethiopian
Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin invited the six ex-warlords to Addis Ababa
after meeting with them during his unannounced trip to Mogadishu last week. During that meeting, the
ex-warlords expressed their grievances to Foreign Minister Mesfin by accusing
Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf of having the “dictator mentality,” since he
did not consult with them on security affairs or the reconciliation process. Unconfirmed reports said
President Yusuf would soon fly to Addis Ababa, where Ethiopian officials
would try mediate between him and the ex-warlords. The ex-warlords were
supposed to fly out of Mogadishu on Sunday but their trip got delayed for
yet-unknown reasons. Unique relationship All six ex-warlords were
members of the now-defunct Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and
Counter-Terror (ARPCT), a CIA-financed warlord coalition that lost control of
Mogadishu and south Somalia to the Union of Islamic Courts last year after
heavy battles. Following their defeat, most
of the ARPCT warlords fled to Ethiopia to regroup and rebuild their forces. In December, Ethiopian
combat troops helped the Somali government defeat the Islamist movement and
return the ARPCT warlords to their former strongholds. Over the last two months,
various confirmed reports said the ex-warlords were rearming themselves in
Mogadishu, where the interim government maintains a fragile hold on peace in
a capital that is increasingly become more violent. Also on Sunday, suspected
Islamist insurgents launched mortars and rockets on the main sea port in
Mogadishu, killing civilians and wounding Ethiopian soldiers. External link: http://tinyurl.com/2acofp |