Militiamen stalk Somali streets

2007-01-09 08:27

Nairobi - Militiamen stalked Somalia's streets again, warlords had moved back into their mansions and the internationally backed government didn't have police or troops to maintain peace.

The call had gone out for an African cavalry to ride into town and save the day. But, would it arrive in time? Diplomats from around the world were scrambling.

After Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops drove a rival Islamic movement out of the Somali capital and most of its other strongholds in the south, Jendayi Frazer, America's top diplomat for Africa, set out for the region to see what could be done to shore up the government.

When she boarded a United States Air Force plane that would take her to four countries in three days, she knew two simple truths about Somalia.

Aid workers 'afraid'

First, the people badly needed help. Almost one in four Somalis required outside assistance to survive and the Islamic militants who imposed security, while demanding piety, were gone. The warlords were ascendant and aid workers were afraid to go back in.

Second, the US could do little by itself. A botched intervention in the early 1990s left 18 US servicemen dead and the legacy of the "Black Hawk Down" battle still weighed heavily on both countries. American boots on the ground was not an option.

Frazer, the US assistant secretary of state for Africa, said: "An African peacekeeping force is a good start to bring about stability."

She took that message to the presidents of Somalia, Uganda, Djibouti, Yemen as well as Ethiopia's prime minister and the African Union's deputy chairperson.

A meeting of US, European Union, African and Arab diplomats ended in Kenya on Friday with a call for a peacekeeping force envisioned at 8 000 soldiers.

Tuju to visit 5 African countries

Uganda had promised about 1 500 troops, but only time would tell if they met Frazer's request to deploy before the end of January.

Kenya's foreign minister Raphael Tuju set off on Monday to visit five Africa countries to see who else would be willing to contribute troops.

He declined to name them, but the only nations possibly willing and able were South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and perhaps Senegal.

Tuju said: "It won't be easy. But, I am optimistic that there is enough willpower among African heads of state that want to solve this problem after so many years."

Willpower, though, might not be enough. All of those countries already provided peacekeepers to operations around the world and South Africa and Nigeria were especially spread thin at the moment. And no country would send peacekeepers into Somalia if there was fighting.

Francois Lonseny Fall, a top UN envoy to Somalia, said: "If there is no improvement in security, it will make it difficult."

Frazer said the key to improving security is to hold political talks that brought together all segments of Somali society, including moderate religious leaders who backed the Council of Islamic Courts.

- AP