Somalia fears new arms shipment

2006-07-26 12:52

Mogadishu - An unidentified cargo plane landed in Islamist-held airport on Wednesday, raising fears of a new weapons shipment in violation of the United Nations arms embargo to the lawless African nation.

The plane was met by two senior Islamic commanders, with another member of the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia (SICS) saying it had weapons from an undisclosed origin. The plane's tail bore the Somali national emblem - a blue flag and pentagon star.

Gunmen chased journalists from the heavily guarded facility, where the aircraft landed about 08:00 and left for unknown destinations two hours later.

A government official said the plane was carrying an assortment of weapons. The official said: "We know the plane is carrying weapons. We are very angry."

Deployment of foreign troops

On July 13, the UN security council endorsed an easing of the 15-year-old UN arms embargo on Somalia to allow the possible deployment of foreign peacekeepers in a move aimed at bolstering the country's weak transitional federal government.

This drew angry reaction from the Islamists who were opposed to the deployment of peacekeepers.

The Islamists, who controlled much of southern Somalia, including Mogadishu, and the government were at loggerheads over the deployment of Ethiopian troops to protect the fragile government.

The government and the largely Ethiopian Christian regime had rejected the incursion claims, arguing that the SICS was looking for an excuse to wage war and expand its territory.

On Tuesday, the SICS threatened to boycott Arab League-mediated peace talks in Khartoum with the government unless Ethiopian troops withdrew.

Islamists 'violates the truce'

Washington had urged Somalia neighbours, most of whom had been accused of violating the UN arms embargo, not to endanger the country's peace talks.

The United States, other Western countries and the UN had all backed the Arab League initiative to bring the Islamists and the government to peace talks in a bid to prevent the country from plunging into deeper turmoil.

In the previous agreement signed on June 22, both sides vowed to recognise each other and refrain from provocative military or propaganda steps. But the Islamists, who routed US-backed warlords from the capital and surrounding townships, had been accused of violating the truce.

However, UN officials had credited the Islamists with restoring order in Mogadishu, notably by dismantling roadblocks, where civilians were being extorted.

The rise of the Islamists had caused concern in Washington, which said it feared a Taliban-style takeover of Somalia.

The Horn of African country, home to about 10 million people, had been without a functioning central authority since strongman Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.

Since then, more than 14 internationally-backed peace initiatives had failed to restore a government there.

- AFP