Somali Warlords to Establish National Representative Government

Somali warlords opposing to the interim government led by President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan Monday ended a meeting in southern Somalia, declaring they will establish a national representative government within six months.

The Reconciliation and Reconstruction Council, composed of several warlords, announced that seven committees with 120 members have been established for the consolidation of their efforts in forming a new government.

First Secretary of the council Mowlid Ma'aneh Mohamud said their council has divided the Somalis into five main tribes of which the largest four, Hawiyeh, Dir, Digil & Mirifle and Darod were each given 26 members, while the remaining 18 members were allocated among the Jareer and Banadiri ethnic minority groups.

Despite the nomination of these committees, no one was elected to lead any of these committees.

Mohamud said the council would come back to Baidoa town, 245 kilometers south of Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, in a fortnight so as to continue talks for the establishment of the representative government.

However, local analysts doubted the meeting could produce any positive results, since there have been over 13 reconciliation conferences held for the Somali warlords and none has succeeded.

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