9 more Somali ministers quit
2006-08-02 09:04
Mogadishu - Nine more Somali government ministers resigned on Tuesday, citing the 18-month-old administration's "unpopularity", while hard-line Islamists widened their control in the centre of the war-shattered east African nation, said officials.
The resignations of culture minister Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, water and natural resources minister Muhamoud Salat Nur, fisheries minister Hassan Abshir Farah, ports minister Ali Abdi Jir and five assistant ministers brought to 27 the number of ministers who had quit the 102-member cabinet.
The move came two days after Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi survived a motion of no confidence.
Nur said: "Gedi's government is unpopular among most members of parliament, and its work plans will not be accepted by the national assembly."
Somali govt 'in fresh turmoil'
Abdullahi said the resignations, which plunged the government into fresh turmoil, were "based on the interests of the nation".
Farah said: "I have resigned ... to give time for Somali people to resolve their differences and to pave the way for a fresh reconciliation."
Analysts said the resignations aimed to exert pressure on the premier to reshuffle his cabinet or step down.
After the government had watched helplessly as a powerful Islamic militia seized the capital, Mogadishu, and much of southern Somalia, the Islamists renewed their opposition to Arab League-mediated peace talks, scheduled to resume on Wednesday in Khartoum, unless the Ethiopian troops withdrew.
Some hard-line elements had declared a holy war against Addis Ababa as imams had stepped up jihadist rhetoric.
Ethiopia, Eritrea urged to resume talks
The deployment had split the country, with the United Nations, the United States and other Western countries warning that any interference by Somalia's neighbours - arch-foes Ethiopia and Eritrea - might scupper efforts to achieve lasting peace in the country.
In Nairobi, the UN special envoy for Somalia Francois Fall urged both sides to resume dialogue.
Fall said: "The continuation of dialogue between" the two sides "was an essential first step towards a solution to the present situation in Somalia".
Fall was speaking to foreign ministers from the seven-nation east African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
According to Fall: "Once an agreement has been negotiated, there may be a role for the peace support mission, as a neutral third party, to observe and possibly monitor the cease-fire through the deployment of a relatively small-unarmed observer force.
"It is necessary to have the agreement of all parties not to engage in hostilities in any form and for their forces to remain in place and not make any move that could be seen by others to be provocative."
IGAD ministers urged neighbouring states to refrain from interfering with Somalia, apparently referring to members - Ethiopia and Eritrea.