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Status: ORf

               S O M A L I A  N E W S  U P D A T E

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No  1                August 27, 1992.               ISSN 1103-1999

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Somalia News Update is published irregularly via electronic mail and
fax. Questions can be directed to antbh@strix.udac.uu.se or to fax
number +46-18-151160. All material is free to quote as long as the
source is stated.
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A Swedish daily has had a correspondent in Mogadishu for a week. Most of
his articles have not been particularly informative but today he
managed to convey something of the atmosphere of that city.

He describes how since a couple of weeks, fighting has increased in and
around a part of Madina [probably the part called "Barmuuda", BH]. He 
decided to go there in the company of a frustrated aid worker who wanted
to get trhough to a feeding centre that had not been heard from since the
fighting started to get tough. He describes how they drove through streets
that were deserted in the afternoon heat, only encountering a "Mad-Max"
car with four of Aydiid's men. The soldiers advised them to return back.

They reached the block where the feeding centre had been and the aid worker
got out and knocked on the door of a house in the compound. Some people 
showed up and begged them to leave immediately as they were afraid that
the presense of the journalist, the aid worker and their armed escort would
draw fire. As they spoke the shooting started. The people rushed off trying
to find shelter in ruined houses along the street. A few of them did not even
bother to bend down but just went around a corner waiting for the fire
to stop.

After some hustle they were able to leave the area. Speaking later on to
Abdul Karim, general secretary of the USC, they were assured that there is
no war in Madina. "We are just cleaning up pockets of bandits to put an end
to their looting", Karim said. Bringing up the same incident with 
Abdullhai Sheekh Ismail, reportedly foreign minister of Ali Mahdi's "govern-
ment" [what happened to Hamed?, BH], they were informed that there are
no bandits in Madina. "The only persons living there are we" [the Abgal 
clan ? Ali Mahdi's people ?]. "We have the political control there as well
as in 11 of the other 14 districts of Mogadishu", he claimed.

Asked about the peace process Ismail claimed that the only way out would be
a general peace conference and "should such a conference choose to elect
Aydiid as the leader of Somalia, the interrim government will honour that
decision".

On Aydiid's side the journalist apporached Aydiid's right-hand man Abdi
Osman. He claimed that the recently formed coalition Somali National
Alliance [consisting chiefly of the Habar Gedir troups loyal to Aydiid and
the Ogaden units that follow Omar Jees] is a decisive step towards unification
of the country.

The ones who live will see!