From: antbh@strix.udac.uu.se (Bernhard Helander)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: ISLAMIC WORLD NEWS, biased Somali reporting
Date: 19 Aug 92 07:32:03 GMT
Organization: UDAC, Uppsala, Sweden


                            
                                 Warning!
 
 ISLAMIC WORLD NEWS, 18th contains a highly biased report on the tragic 
events in SOmalia. The gist of the article is that the warlord Mohamed
Farah Aydiid, i.e. the person fiercly resisting UN involvment, has a point
in waging a war against the 'self-appointed president' Ali Mahdi Mohamed.
The article depicts Ayhdiid as an heroic fighter against the former regime
whereas Ali Mahdi is a corrupt hotelier. The truth of the matter is that
Aydiid rose to the rank of general in Siyad Barres army and that he was
also a trusted ambassador of the ex-dictator to India. According to an article
by Richard Greenfield (a former advisor to the Barre regime) in AFrica Events
last year, it is not unlikely that Aydiid played a role in the illicit
drug-trafficing via diplomatic mail that 'Mama Khadija' -a wife of Barre-
had set up.

Ali Mahdi may not be a very prominent political figure. But at least he has
no record of having served Siyad Barre. He was leading a small Hawiye-based
party in the 1960's but following the military copu he resigned from 
politics and devoted his time to commercial activities. ALso, for the record
it should be pointed out that however weak his 'presidential powers', he is 
not 'self-appointed'. He was elected president of Somalia by the Djibouti
conference. In fact, Ali Mahdis strongest support came from soime of the Daa-
rood delegates who were happy to see a 'week' Hawiye as president rather than
a strong figure from any other grouping.

Before his appointment, ALi Mahdi  was the head of USC. The fact thaAydiid
was appointed to that position has generally been regarded as a soothing
gesture towards the Habar Gedir clan.

The situtation today is that neither of these men control more than a few
thousand troops. The majority of fighters inside Mogadishu are bandits
who fight with their respective clan one day, loot another day, chew khat
on other times, etc. 

The fact that some Rahanweyn clans are reported to support Aydiid cannot
be taken as sign of legitimacy of his shelling of the capital. Aydiid's currentHQ is in Baardheere a town that grants access to most of Rahanweyn land.
ALso the Rahanweyn and Digil have always been military weak and throghout
the current conflict their organisation, SDM, has remained unarmed. When
the choice is bewtween supporting a conqurer or be executed it is small wonder
that many clans have decided to join up behind Aydiid.

The author of the article also scorns the primary minister Omar Arte Qaalib
for having formed a government consisting of repersentatives for 80 different
clans. Now, faced with the anarchy that arose shortly after the overthrow of
Siyad Barre, what was Omar Arte supposed to have done instead? Most people who
were in the country at the time felt that government naturally never could
be anything but a temporary solution. But given its limited mandate wasn't
it wiser to attempt to establish a broad base even for an interrimistic
government. The fact that Omar Arte has been away since Aydiid's shelling
of the capital began in October last year is also a point that the author
chooses to ridicule. Omar Arte was in prison for many years during Siyad
Barre's regime. It has been reported that when he was finally released he was
so weak that he left the prison on a stretcher. All we have been told
about his reasons for staying out of the country is that it is because of 
'health reasons'. I think we should respect that.

In summary, the Somali people, whether Hawiye or Daarood, whether Isaaq or Dir,whether, Rahanweyn or Digil, are NOT served by articles like the one
published by ISLAMIC WORLD NEWS. Exiled SOmalis and friends of SOmalia in othercountries don't need biased and erroneous reports of that kind. What Somalia
needs now is food and disarmament - nor articles that fuel the conflict!

  
-- 
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* Bernhard Helander                * Telephone: +46-18-182289 (office)      *
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