Secretary-General calls on Somalis to unite after ouster of warlords from capital

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on some of the key players in Somalia – the Union of Islamic Courts that earlier this month drove the warlords out of the capital of Mogadishu, the Transitional Government and the population at large – to come together and restore order to the country, which has been plagued by factional violence for the past 16 years.

“The people of Somalia are totally fed up with the warlords who brought such misery and destruction to their country, who have terrorized them for over 15, 16 years, that I suspect most Somalis, except those with vested interests, will say ‘Good riddance,’” he told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York, when asked about developments in the impoverished East African country.

Mr. Annan said it was not yet known whether the Union of Islamic Courts would be able to bring about law and order while also respecting the rights and liberties of the individuals, or whether it would curb their rights and offer security without civil liberties.

“The situation is very fluid,” he said. “What is important is that we find a way of getting the Somalis to work together to eliminate the violence that has plagued that country for 16 years and begin to restore some order.

“And I would urge them to work together – the Islamic Court, the Transitional Government and the population,” he added.

Asked whether he was concerned that the Islamic victory in Mogadishu might herald a rerun of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan with Somalia becoming a terrorist haven, Mr. Annan said he had heard such reports of a possible Al-Qaida replay, but added: “I have no evidence to support that. But what I can say is that the people have been fed up with the warlords and probably had helped the other side defeat the warlords, just to get their liberty back.”

Asked whether he had an immediate plan of action on behalf of the UN, Mr. Annan noted that the Transitional Government had been working with the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an indication that IGAD would send in a peacekeeping force to help them.

“If it gets to the stage where the UN has to get in directly and work with the Somalis and the IGAD, obviously we will work with the Somalis,” he said. “So we need to really clarify the situation and find a way of getting the Somalis to work together, and then, if need be, the international community moving in to help them. We cannot have a plan for them: we have to have a plan with them, and discuss it with them.”

Responding to questions about the role of warlords, both in Somalia and Afghanistan, the Secretary-General said empowering such groups was “short-sighted.”

“One should find other means of bringing law and order,” he said. “You cannot rely on lawless men to create law and order for the general public,” he added. “They will work in their own interest, and we’ve seen it in the past. And they are not going to change their spots overnight.”