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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
SOMALIA: Clash erupts in the northeast
NAIROBI, 6 Nov 2006 (IRIN) - Forces loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) clashed with those who back the self-declared autonomous state of Puntland on Monday in northeastern Somalia, an official said.
UIC vice-chairman Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Umar said the fighting took place near the town of Galinsoor, in Mudug region, 780 km north of the capital, Mogadishu. "Puntland forces in eight technicals [battlewagons] attacked our positions this morning [Monday] on the outskirts of Galinsoor," he said.
Umar said the UIC, which controls much of south and central Somalia, including Mogadishu, repulsed the attackers but did not pursue them. "We will exercise maximum restraint and will not let enemy provocations to lead to a wider war," he added.
Efforts to contact Puntland officials failed.
The fighting occurred just days after peace talks between the UIC and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, were postponed "for further consultations".
The talks, which were to begin on 30 October, were aimed at reconciling the TFG with the UIC. Sources said the talks faltered because the main bone of contention was the UIC's demand for the withdrawal of foreign troops allegedly deployed in Somalia.
"It was commonly established and agreed that there is a need for further consultation on both substantive and procedural issues to move the dialogue forward," the mediation team comprising the African Union, the League of Arab States, European Union, Organisation of the Islamic Conference, United Nations and the east African regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), said in a combined statement.
Puntland is the home region of the current interim President Abdullahi Yusuf. The fighting in Galinsoor marks the first clashes between forces in Puntland and the UIC; and comes amid fears that an all-out war in Somalia is imminent.
Meanwhile, in Mogadishu, the UIC has welcomed a new initiative to break the deadlock in talks with the transitional government, according to Umar. The move follows the arrival on Sunday of a delegation of 25 MPs led by the speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan.
"We welcome the speaker's peace initiative," Umar said. "We will welcome any ideas that can lead to a peaceful resolution to our problems and can benefit our people. We want him [the speaker] to see the positive changes that have taken place in Mogadishu and share it with his colleagues."
He said that a formal meeting with the speaker and the top UIC leadership is expected to take place within the next two days.
Adan's visit to Mogadishu is the first by a senior member of the interim government, since the UIC took control of the city in early June.
Since the UIC took control of the capital, it has continued to extend its authority over much of southern and central Somalia, challenging the authority of the transitional government, which was set up in 2004 in a bid to restore law and order after 15 years without a national government.
ah/jm
[ENDS]
This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006
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