From: barnhart@netcom.com (Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOMALIA: Campaigners urge African l
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 22:38:21 GMT
Organization: Netcom
Reply-To: barnhart@netcom.com

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: SOMALIA: Campaigners urge African leaders to intervene


an inter press service feature

by moyiga nduru

london, aug 14 (ips) -- ''somalia is burning. people are dying in
droves daily from bullets and starvation. yet african leaders are
doing nothing to stop the war,'' lamented mahmoud farrah, a somali
refugee in britain.

such feelings, already widespread among britain's over 60,000
somali community, are also shared by human rights and pressure
groups who deride the indifference of african leaders to the
somali plight.

''why hasn't an african leader or senior official of the
organisation of african unity (oau), ever visited somalia to
assess the situation and proposed solution as done by president
mitterrand of france in yugoslavia,'' rakiya omaar, executive
director of the london-based human rights organisation 'africa
watch' wondered.

''although most african countries lack resources to cater for the
needs of the starving population in somalia, a visit would be a
very important gesture of goodwill,'' omaar noted.

tajudeen abdul-raheem of the london-based africa research and
information bureau (arib) said ''africa must sort out the mess in
somalia by itself. it should not rely on the west for help.''

but africa is unlikely to take a common stand on such issues. a
typical example was the sharp division among the african nations
over the idea of establishing a pan-african task force -- proposed
by oau secretary general salim ahmed salim -- during oau summit in
dakar, senegal, in may.

sudan and eritrea -- both members of the troubled horn of africa
as somalia -- vehemently opposed the proposal, citing the
organisation's charter of non-interference in others internal
affairs.

somalia's conflict could also pose as a setback for africa's
attempt to build a homogeneous society. for a long time somalia --
a homogeneous nation with one language, one religion and one race --
was regarded as a success story of a peaceful, united african
country.

''unfortunately, the scale of the civil war that has been raging
in somalia has surpassed any conflict in a multi-ethnic nation in
africa,'' abdel-raheem observed. (more/ips)

somalia: campaigners urge african leaders to intervene(2-e)

somalia: campaigners urge (2)

somalis, however, attribute their plight to the 23 years of
former somali leader siad barre's rule, which ended in january
1991. they claim that barre divided the somali people along clan
lines, pitting one against the other.

''as a result, there is too much antagonism among the various
clans in somalia. this is also, sadly, reflected in the way they
formed their political organisations,'' abdel-raheem added.

he recalls with sadness how arib had failed to bring all the
various somali groups in london for a conference in order to
encourage dialogue among them last year.

''we were warned that the conference would end up in a fight. in
fact, all the groups we have contacted had refused to share
platform with their respective rivals,'' abdel-raheem recalled.

the only sign of hope for somalia is the dispatch of 500 united
nations troops to provide security for the port and food convoys
for the estimated 1.5 million people facing starvation in the
country.

the agreement was worked out by the un special envoy to somalia,
mohamed sahnoun, after soliciting the support of somalia's
strongman, general mohamed farrah aideed, on wednesday.

in a move seen as aimed to outdo his rival, the interim president
ali mahdi, called for 10,000 troops to restore law and order in
the country. but this is unlikely as the un is already involved in
other conflict areas like yugoslavia.

a leading british academic, peter woodward of reading university,
who has published several books on the sudan, told a sudanese
conference in london recently that africa should not expect the
west to sort out its problems, especially after the end of the
cold war.

african regional organisations, he said, should take a leading
role in resolving african disputes. (end/ips/rp/mn/rj/92)


-- 
Aaron (Barnhart@netcom.com) -- posting from Evanston, Illinois