From: barnhart@netcom.com (Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOMALIA: United Nations expects a b
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 22:48:02 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: United Nations expects a breakthrough soon


new york, aug 14 (ips/appan menon) -- for the first time since the
civil war began in somalia a year ago, the united nations appears
to be hopeful that it can improve the political and humanitarian
situation in the country.

the announcement this week of pakistan's offer to dispatch 500
armed u.n. guards to mogadishu to protect food supplies has given
a psychological boost to the international community, and may have
already had an impact on the warring groups inside somalia.

as soon as ambassdor mohammed sahnoun, the u.n. secretary-
general's special representative, announced the deal to send the
guards, the united states offered to airlift the contingent on its
military aircraft.

the progress is due ''either to western guilt for paying so
much attention to the yugoslav situation, or the awareness created
by boutros-ghali and tv pictures of a thousand people dying of
starvation every day'', an african diplomat told ips.

the diplomat was referring to secretary-general boutros boutros-
ghali's pointed reminder to the security council this month that
the situation in the former yugoslavia was attracting more
attention (and by implication more money) than the human tragedy
in somalia.

according to sources, the 500 pakistani u.n. guards will arrive
in mogadishu soon. the 50 military observers already in the
country are under the command of brigadier imtiaz shaheen, also
from pakistan.

because of an acute housing shortage in the somali capital, the
guards are expected to be stationed on a ship across the harbour
from mogadishu. this location will also enable them to monitor
effectively the unloading of food supplies.

unlike the unarmed military observers now in mogadishu to
monitor the ceasefire, the pakistani contingent will be well
equipped. they will have amoured personnel carriers and other arms
so they can establish and run ''food corridors'' from the port to
the feeding centres.

according to the secretary-general's report ''somalia is a
country without central, regional or local administration, and
without services: no electricity, no communications, no transport,
no schools and no health services''. (more/ips)

somalia: united nations expects a breakthrough soon(2-e)

somalia: united nations(2)

the presence of u.n. soldiers is expected to have a dramatic
impact on the food situation in mogadishu. according to michael
mathews, an aid worker with  the washington-based 'bread for the
world' organisation, the deployment ''is a good first step to
ensure security for the food convoys''.

according to u.n. estimates, about 1.5 million somalis are in
danger of starvation today. since the beginning of the year, the
world food programme and other agencies have supplied less than
80,000 metric tonnes of food -- one quarter of what is needed.

the civil war has created a famine which in turn is fueling the
war. aid workers estimate that more than half the food reaching
somalia is looted by marauding gangs employed by  warlords.

''the presence of a well-disciplined and armed u.n. presence
will break the vicious cycle of food and hunger driving the civil
war'', a u.n. official involved in the operation told ips.

u.n. officials hope the protection of food shipments will lead
to a more stable security situation. they consider it ''a small
victory'' already that general mohammed farah aidid, one of two
major warlords in mogadishu, has accepted the u.n. contingent.

gen. aidid has been very suspicious of u.n. efforts since june,
when his soldiers seized a russian-made plane bearing the u.n.
insignia and containing freshly minted, counterfeit somali
currency for delivery to the faction of aidid's rival, ali mahdi.

the secretary-general has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
it appears that the pilot, who had previously used his plane to
deliver food supplies for the united nations, was working
independently for mahdi's faction.

but in the past two months ambassador sahnoun has persuaded ali
mahdi not to circulate the counterfeit currency or escalate the
war, and has worked to regain the trust of gen. aidid.

''it has been a tough balancing act, but now we have a real
chance to implement the secretary-general's humanitarian
assistance and national reconciliation programme'', a u.n.
official said.

the secretary-general's report envisages setting up four
operational zones in the country. u.n. personnel in each zone will
look after emergency relief, and monitor the ceasefire and
eventual demobilisation and reconciliation.

but none of this can begin until the blue helmets ensure the
delivery of food supplies. as boutros-ghali says in the report:
''a framework for the security of humanitarian relief operations
is the sine qua non for effective action''. (end/ips/ip/am/wr/92)


-- 
Aaron (Barnhart@netcom.com) -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african