From: antbh@strix.udac.uu.se (Bernhard Helander)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Somalia News Update, No 35
Date: 15 Nov 92 08:01:40 GMT
Organization: Uppsala University
NNTP-Posting-Host: strix.udac.uu.se


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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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No 35                 November 14, 1992.              ISSN 1103-1999

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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.
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                 In this issue: NEWS DROUGHT
                                MOGADISHU: BUSINESS AS USUAL
                                SNA ALLIANCE UNDER RECONSIDERATION?


                 NOTHING NEW ABOUT SOMALIA?

   I am extremely concerned with the fact that over the past
two weeks close to nothing about Somalia has appeared from the major 
news agencies. Although IPS have kindly consented to let me forward 
their wires free of charge, that is of little help when there are no 
news to forward. I have been in touch with all my contacts in the 
Swedish media and they all confirm that there has been scarcely any 
news feed "since Sahnoun resigned", as one of my journalist friends 
put it. Another journalist, at the Swedish Television, said "it's 
crazy! We know that terrible things are happening but we don't get a 
single fax about it. We were about to send one man to Hargeysa but 
then this thing in Angola happened... ". 
   It seems like Somalia, once more, is loosing ground to other, more 
interesting news. At the same time the events during this summer 
proved an important point: donor's commitment to Somalia depends to a 
scaringly large extent on the media coverage. Why don't we all do 
like Dorothy Morse, the heroic Texan Somalia activist: call our local 
paper!
   One most urgent thing to campaign for right now concerns the 
imminent closure of the US air lift. Since late August, 13 leased 
Hercules air crafts have been shuttling food from Kenya to areas of 
Somalia that are difficult or dangerous to reach with land-based 
transports. The US State Department recently announced that flights 
will be decreased as from December due to the high costs involved. 
Each flight costs approximately US$ 7000 and can carry less than 20 
tons of cargo, a rate US officials compare with the several times 
less expensive shipments with boats. 

   Bernhard Helander


                 MOGADISHU: BUSINESS AS USUAL

   (SNU, Uppsala, November 14). Thursday a convoy of 27 lorries 
carrying food from the port in Mogadishu to the town of Baydhabo was 
looted. The convoy was organized by Care. Only one vehicle is said to 
have reached its destination. The convoy was the first in several 
months of attempting to travel the dangerous road between Mogadishu 
and Baydhabo. Previously all food for Baydhabo has been delivered by 
air. However, due to the expected decrease of the air-shuttle several 
agencies plan to open land-based transfer of food to the worst 
affected areas of Somalia. 
   20 UN employees on their way to the Gesiira beach south of 
Mogadishu, on Friday were attacked by looters apparently seeking to 
get hold of the three vehicles the UN staff were travelling in. One 
of the UN workers was injured.
   On Friday General Aydiid reiterated UNC's refusal to allow more 
than the 500 UN troops in Mogadishu. According the BBC World Service 
Aydiid was also highly critical of the fact that the Pakistan UN 
troops have now taken control of the airport.


                 SNA ALLIANCE UNDER RECONSIDERATION?

   (SNU, Uppsala, November 12) Since August the civil war in southern 
Somalia has been waged between awkward alliances. The USC, consisting 
chiefly of the Hawiye Habar Gedir clan and headed by General Aydiid, 
then entered into a formal alliance with the Daarood Ogadeen clan in 
the SPM movement under the leadership of Omar Jees under the name of 
Somali National Alliance (SNA). On the other side, the self-
proclaimed president of Somalia, Ali Mahdi, has been seeking to join 
his Hawiye Abgaal clans with the Daarood Majertayn clan in the 
Northeast. Ali Mahdi has sought the support of the Marehaan too, but 
apparently with little result.
   Few observers have expected these alliances to last very long. 
There are now some signs that the alliances are reformating closer in 
agreement with the clan divisions. There have been several recent 
contacts between the SPM (Daarood Ogadeen) and the Daarood Marehan 
forces in Gedo region. Another sign is the recent deal struck between 
the Hawiye Hawaadle clan and Ali Mahdi's Hawiye Abgaal. The Hawaadle 
appear until recently not to have chosen side between Ali Mahdi and 
Aydiid. However, following recent talks between Hawaadle and Ali 
Mahdi, Hawaadle "technicals" have been sighted by aid workers in the 
Karan part of Mogadishu controlled by Ali Mahdi. A rumour actually 
has it that the Hawaadle were bribed off to abandon their control of 
the airport to provide an initial "victory" for the new UN special 
envoy for Somalia.
   Simultaneously Aydiid have suffered a humiliating defeat by 
Daarood forces in the town of Baardheere along the Jubba river. His 
clan are also reported to have been recently defeated again by 
Daarood Majertayn forces in the vicinity of Hobbya in the Northeast.      
   In a copy of a letter that has been circulating among Somalis in 
Sweden during the past days Aydiid mentions Ali Mahdi as his "walaal" 
(brother). It would not be surprising should this turn out to be an 
attempt to reconsolidate his forces with those of Ali Mahdi.


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Posted by Bernhard Helander in Uppsala, Sweden.

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