From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOMALIA: Boutros-Ghali looks ahead to problems of transition
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:10:11 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

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

Area: Europe, eastern
Title: SOMALIA: Boutros-Ghali looks ahead to problems of transition


new york, dec 22 (ips) -- united nations secretary-general boutros
boutros-ghali has warned that a ''premature departure'' of the
u.s.-led unified task force (utf) could plunge the country ''back
into anarchy and starvation.''

his latest report on the country -- the first since the security
council authorised military intervention in somalia on dec. 3 --
brought out some ''differences in approach'' between the u.n. and
the utf on how ''quickly the transition to continued peacekeeping
operations'' could be made.

boutros-ghali has asked the security council in the report to
''defer a decision'' on the transition and any planned new and
enlarged mandate of the united nations operation in somalia
(unosom) ''until the situation on the ground becomes clearer.''

the report revealed that the united states has in internal
discussions, ''pressed for the planning'' of the transition from
the utf to the new unosom to begin ''as soon as possible.''

''i share the united states authorities' wish that this work
should be undertaken as soon as possible. but in my view the
moment for it has not yet come,'' boutros-ghali said. he added
that this ''over-cautious'' approach to the transition recognised
the need to give current national reconciliation efforts a chance.

he said that 12 parties from somalia, including the united somali
congress of general farrah aidid and the united somali congress of
ali mahdi had been invited to a meeting on jan. 4 in addis ababa
which he will chair.

''i do believe that progress in the peace process must be taken
into account in deciding how and when the utf should be replaced
by a new unosom,'' he said. the u.s. want the utf replaced by a
new unosom with a mandate, operational concept, armament and rules
of engagement almost the same as the utf itself.

it was argued that unosom would not be able to operate under
''normal peace keeping lines'' as it would have to deal with
''factional forces or gangs which would not have been neutralised
or disarmed during the presence of the utf in somalia.''

this would amount to a ''peace enforcement operation under united
nations command,'' said boutros-ghali, adding that though it was
premature to recommend such an operation, such a decision, would
have ''very far reaching consequences'' for the u.n.

the feasibility of such an operation would be in serious doubt as
the u.n.'s ''capacity to manage such operations'' and the finances
required have been ''stretched almost to the limit by the huge
expansion in peacekeeping in 1992.'' (more/ips)

somalia: boutros-ghali looks ahead to problems of transition(2-e)

instead, the secretary general suggested that before the utf
completed the task of establishing a ''secure environment'' as
called for in resolution 794 authorising the military action, the
security council would have to ''revise'' and ''enlarge'' unosom's
mandate.

this expanded would include monitoring the ceasefire, the ability
to take appropriate action against factions which violate the
ceasefire, maintain control of heavy weapons, continue the
programme of land mine removal and ensure the protection of
warehouses, ports and humanitarian convoys.

at present, unosom's military mandate was to monitor the
ceasefire in mogadishu and to provide security for the u.n.'s
humanitarian activities in somalia.

to accomplish this it had a strength of 564 soldiers, comprising
a 500 strong battalion from pakistan, 50 military observers and a
small headquarters staff.

but once a secure environment was created the new unosom would
require ''sufficient troops and logistic support elements deployed
in somalia to take over instantly from the unified task force.''

boutros-ghali welcomed the willingness of some nations
contributing to the utf to also serve in a future unosom. he has
already indicated to the u.s. that he would request them to keep
some ''logistic units'' in somalia in support of unosom.

without mentioning u.s. objections to his views on the issue of
disarming the somali factions, boutros-ghali quoted from a letter
he had written to president george bush on dec. 8. in which he
said that ''..any forceful action by the international community
in somalia must have the objective of ensuring that... the heavy
weapons of the organised factions are neutralised and brought
under international control and that the irregular forces and
gangs are disarmed.''

the u.s. has already made it clear that the primary task of the
utf was ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian supplies and
''disarming'' non-hostile somalis was not on their agenda.

but boutros-ghali made it clear in the report that if heavy
weapons of the various factions were not brought under
international control and ''lawless gangs'' disarmed, he would
not ''be in a position to recommend to the council that it decide
to make the transition to continued peacekeeping operations.''

further he said the utf's mandate was to see that a ''secure
environment'' was created throughout somalia, and not limited to
certain areas as the u.s. military was suggesting.

despite these differences, boutros-ghali assured the council that
the u.n. and the united states had developed an ''excellent
working relationship'' both in new york and in mogadishu.
(end/ips/ip/am/rj/92)