Salad Hassan's opposition form a reconciliation council
Somalia, Politics, 3/23/2001

Leaders of the Somali groups who oppose the provisional government in Makadishu have formed a reconciliation council. This was a direct defiance to the Somali government, at a time when three persons were killed in an attack against a hotel in Makadishu where the prime minister Ali Khleif Jleid and other two parliament members stay.

In a press conference held in Addis Ababa, Leaders of the Somali groups said that the reconciliation council chose a presidential council composed of five rotating presidents, they are the current President Hussein Aided, Hiloul Eman Omar; Adeen Abdullah Nour; Hassan Muhammad Nour; Abdullah Sheikh Ismael as alternative Presidents.

Leaders of the Somali groups explained that the authorization period of the council is six months during which preparations for a genuine national reconciliation conference in which all groups are taking part on equal footing, including those who took part at Arta conference in Djibouti, but under the condition that their participation as one united group and not in their being a Somali government.

Leaders of the groups stressed they did not form an anti Ð government to the provisional government concluded by Arta conference held in Djibouti. But, they at the same time stressed that Djibouti peace initiative did not result in a national government that represents the ambitions and desires of the Somali national political forces, rather created conditions that will lead to total destruction of the society and makes of national reconciliation as the " impossible dream."

The participants in the meeting admitted responsibility for the previous failure of numerous efforts aimed at making reconciliation but they also vowed to be up to the level of the ambitions of the Somali people.

They called on the Somali people to support their efforts in order to take the country out of its current state. They also called on all political movements, including Arta group, the representatives of the civil society, religious leaders, heads of tribes, Somalis in Exile; and the representatives of the finance and the businesses to join the ranks in order to convene the said conference without any set preconditions.

As for the position concerning the government of President Edi Qasem Salad Hassan and what the position if the government will persist to take part as a provisional government, the representatives of the groups said the temporarily charter which was agreed upon stated the participation of all groups, including Arta group, unconditionally and on equal footing.

On the other hand, three persons were killed in an attack at a hotel to the north Makadishu where Jleid, stays, and he was not at the hotel during the attack.

The BBC said that two men and one woman, residents at the hotel, were killed in the attack.

The radio added that several persons riding a car had executed the attack, noting that they belong to the parliament member Muhammad Omar Habib who withdrew his support for the provisional government.

Previous Stories:
  Somali President calls for International support to build peace in his country   (3/19/2001)
  A state of alert among the Somali war factions   (3/10/2001)
  Somali opposition leaders seek reconciliation   (3/7/2001)

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