Somalia's newly elected president, Abdiqasim Salad Hasan said the country's "warlords"
should abide by the wishes of the people, who wanted peace and stability. Speaking
in an interview with the BBC on Thursday, he added that he was not worried about
them being opposed to his new interim administration. Speaking from the capital,
Mogadishu, he said his first priority would be to ensure the safety and security
of every Somali.
He said the militias should be retrained and provided the skills to earn a living.
On the self-declared regions of Puntland and Somaliland, whose leaders boycotted
the Djibouti-hosted peace process and do not recognise the election of Abdiqassim,
he reiterated the sanctity of Somalia unity. Asked
about his prominent profile under former president Muhammad Siyad Barreh, he said
most politicians, military men and intellectuals had served under him, including
those who were now criticising him.
He also said he planned to visit Kismayo, Belet-weyn, and Baidoa. He denied there
were security problems in Kismayo, and said he had received invitations from Kismayo
to visit the contested southern port.
Washington pleased at developments The
United States said this week it was "encouraged" by the election of President
Abdiqasim Salad Hasan and the creation of a new interim administration in Somalia.
In widely reported statements, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said
Sunday's swearing-in of the new president and the establishment of an interim
parliament, the Transitional National Assembly (TNA) "were positive developments."
In his daily briefing on Thursday, Boucher said "we're encouraged by the results
of the peace conference that was held in Djibouti. The
establishment of a transitional government for Somalia, including the election
of the president, are positive developments." Boucher urged the new government
"to reach out to those areas of Somalia, such as Somaliland, which have already
done much to reestablish stability, security and representative local administration".
He said all Somalia's
should support the new president. "The
key to success of the newly created Somalia government will depend on whether
or not it reflects the will of the Somalia people and its ability to govern effectively,"
he said. Somalia's
new president has already received public backing from the United Nations, the
European Union and the Arab League.
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