From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOMALIA: CIVILIANS CALL FOR U.S. TO STAY AS WITHDRAWL BEGINS
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 23:07:06 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Africa, west
Reference: North America
Title: SOMALIA: CIVILIANS CALL FOR U.S. TO STAY AS WITHDRAWL BEGINS


an inter press service feature

by horace awori

nairobi, jan 19 (ips) -- the u.s., pulling out some of its
troops from somalia this week has pledged to leave behind a
strong presence to prevent the country slipping back into chaos.

''we are not just about to cut and ran as many somalis
fear'', the u.s. special envoy to somalia, robert oakley told
somali women representatives last week. ''we will retain a large
presence here so that nothing changes on the ground''.

the u.s. led force of about 35,000 men entered somalia
on dec. 9. of these, 25,000 are u.s. marines who have done
most of the work of opening up and securing the food
distribution network in a country in which more than a
million people are threatened with starvation.

over 300,000 somalis have died due to famine and the
factional fighting that erupted after the overthrow of dictator
siad barre in january 1991.

but according to marine colonel fred peck, the peacekeeping
force has reached a stage where it is possible to hand over
smoothly to the u.n. command.

washington first planned to withdraw all its troops by
wednesday when bill clinton takes over as president. but now
there are indications that many of the 25,000 strong force will
be in this horn of african country for a good deal longer.

according to defence secretary dick cheney, even if
most of the troops are withdrawn, an amphibious group may stay
off the somali coast in the indian ocean with a fast response
unit on land.

the so-called ''operation restore hope'' has brought a
semblance of normality to somalia's capital, mogadishu, which
was divided between the two united somali congress warlords
general mohamed farah aideed and interim president ali mahdi.

the force first secured the port and airport and then fanned
out to the hinterland unblocking food distribution routes to
hard hit areas like baidoa, berdhera, and kismayu.

in the past two weeks, it has carried out operations to cut
off the supply and movement of weapons. operations in the arms
markets of argentin and bacara in mogadishu led to the capture
of huge quantities of equipment. (more/ips)


somalia: civilians (2)

stockpiles have been raided and the lastest over the weekend
netted a 1,000 tonnes haul including missiles and rockets. the
arsenal was hidden in 30 bunkers 20 km west of mogadishu in
territory held by aideed.

the representative here of a peace lobby group, the
somali patrotic movement, supports such action and wants the
troop presence to go beyond the food relief operation.

''if no effort is made to help somalia get rid of weapons now
in the hands of warlords and gangasters, then whatever peace is
achieved will be fragile'', abdulatif afdub said.

many of the civilians in somalia would like a strong u.s.
presence in their country, said emigre hassan omar.

''we want the u.s. troops to stay as long as possible. the
ordinary people want peace and law and order and believe the us.
can help restore that.  it is the gangsters who are against that
but they are fast loosing out'', he noted.

last week, the warlords led credence to hopes for a peaceful
solution in somalia when after two weeks of protracted talks in
the ethiopian capital addis ababa they agreed to an immediate
ceasefire and disarmament under a u.n. monitoring group.

aidid, the most powerful and recalcitrant of the warlords
returned to mogadishu sunday, describing the ceasefire and
disarmament accords as ''success for somalia''.

oakley also welcomed the disarmament accord.  ''it is a
continuation of what we are already doing in the mogadishu area
and gradually in other parts of the country''. he said the
accord makes things easier.  ''we do not have to impose the
disarmament''.

but reports reaching here from mogadishu say that aidid has
announced there is need for more talks to decide on how the
accord is to be implemented.

his suggestions for formation of autonomous regions before a
central authority is established in somalia has some u.n. and
relief agency officials worried.

but analysts say the proposal merely legitimises the already
existing fiefdowns of various warring clans. aideed has also
called for the creation of a police force and the rehabilitation
of services.

''i think that we have reached a point of no return on the
road to peace and normalcy'' said afdub. however, he did
not rule out continued incidents of violence. ''the road to
peace is still full of mines''. (end/ips/ha/oa/93)
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