Friday, December 9, 2011

Somali MPs Demand Rules of Engagement for Kenyan Troops

Two Somalia MPs and two businessmen have demanded rules of engagement for Kenya troops who will join the African Mission in Somalia contingent.

The MPs Ahmed Awad who is also the chairman of Somalia’s parliamentary committee on information, Ibrahim Sheikh Ali, the chairman of a parliamentary committee on reconciliation as well as businessmen Jama Hassan Khalif and Hassan Isse, said Somalia needs a political solution not a military one by foreign governments, including Kenya.

“Interference by other governments even Kenya in Somalia’s affairs is intolerable. Everything that goes on in Somalia has to be sanctioned. There is a ministry of interior and the parliament has to approve.The law must be followed followed.Somalia’s political problems cannot be solved by foreign troop intervention. It has been tested before and not worked,” said Awad during a press conference ion Nairobi.

He said foreign countries should not enter Somalia without clear rules of engagement.

The MPs thanked all governments and individuals that have helped alleviate famine situation in the war torn country but said the country’s fate should be left to its people.

The legislators demanded the immediate removal of the United Nations special envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, for what they termed his attempt to fragment the country by making alarming statements during an interview in Hargesia.

“The UN Special envoy to Somalia Augustine Mahiga made a wrong statement of choice in Hargesia when he suggested fragmentation of Somalia. His campaign to support secession is against Somalia’s territorial integrity.He is attempting to take the powers of the Somalia people which has been vested in the MPs,” they said

The two also called for the removal of Somalia’s Parliament Speaker whom they accused of frustrating the work of MPs by not publishing the annual calendar. They said the Speaker is usurping the powers of the House.

A motion signed by 158 Somalia MPs says the Speaker has not obeyed separation of powers and failed to make Parliament meet to discuss pertinent issues affecting the country.

He has failed to establish administrative organs of parliament that would help the draft of the statement of expenditure and has derailed the ongoing work of committees of parliament,” the legislators said

Meanwhile,Seven people including four Transitional Federal Government (TFG) soldiers were killed and five others injured in separate incidents as fighting between TFG/AMISOM troops on one hand and al Shabaab fighters on the other escalated in Mogadishu on yesterday morning.

The fighting in Mogadishu’s Hiliwa, Karan, Wadajir and Yaqshid areas began after Al Shabaab fighters engaged the TFG and AMISOM troops in a hide and seek fighting.

Two other TFG soldiers who were among those on patrol were died in a landmine explosion in Bakara market.

Source: allafrica

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