(AP) Gov't: Somali warlords agree to disarm

[Eugene]

Gov't: Somali warlords agree to disarm

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer

22 minutes ago

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's warlords have agreed to disarm and join a new
national army, a government official said Friday as violence in the capital
brought home the challenge of restoring order in this fractious and heavily
armed country.

The announcement followed a meeting between President Abdullahi Yusuf and clan
warlords that proceeded even as clan gunmen outside fired a rocket-propelled
grenade and briefly exchanged gunfire with government troops.

The fighting, which one fighter said was sparked by a dispute over where to park
an armored car, left at least six people dead and 10 wounded.

-snip-

One of Somalia's most powerful warlords, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, told the AP after
the meeting the war lords were "fed up" with guns and ready to cooperate with the
government.

However, another warlord spelled out a warning.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070112/ap_on_re_af/somalia

[meti57b]

1. Extremely good news!

Thank you for posting it.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

2. kick

[maddezmom]

3. Clashes mar Somali talks, Oxfam says raids kill 70

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Militiamen clashed on Friday outside talks to try and bring peace to Somalia, where a charity said anti-Islamist air raids had hit the wrong people and killed 70 herdsmen.

~snip~

The British-based aid agency Oxfam said on Friday air raids to pursue the Islamists as they fled south in recent days had mistakenly targeted nomadic herdsmen, killing 70 of them.

"Under international law, there is a duty to distinguish between military and civilian targets," it said, citing its local partner organizations in Somalia for the information.

Washington sent a warplane into Somalia on Monday to try and take out what U.S. officials say are top al Qaeda suspects hiding with the Islamists.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070112/wl_nm/somalia_conflict_dc