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Hundreds
of people on Thursday took to the streets of Baidoa town,
some 250 kilometers southwest from the capital, protesting
against the on-going conference for the reconciliation of
Somalia in Djibouti.
The rally
sponsored by the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) officials
in Baidoa was in response to the latest developments achieved
by the main traditional leaders of Somalia now attending the
meeting.
The demonstrators
carried placards and shouted against the Djibouti government
as well as the meeting in Arta, some 40 kilometers north of
the capital Djibouti, for the restoration of Somali fragmented
nationhood.
In an
official letter signed by the RRA chairman Colonel Hassan
Mohamed Nur Shargudud, the RRA said they are totally boycotting
the conference.
The letter
urged the government of Djibouti to return back the 72-member
Rahanwein delegation now attending the conference in Arta.
The letter
has appealed to the international community not to assist
the government of Djibouti for what it called its plot against
the Somalis in general.
It is
reported that the RRA officials have been angered by comments
made by the political advisor of Djibouti President Ismail
Omar Ghelleh over the current reconciliation efforts for Somalia.
In an
interview with the BBC, the political advisor of President
Ghelleh, Osman Ahmed Yussuf, said all clannish differences
had been solved including that between the Rahanwein and Habar
Gidir clans who have been fighting for control of Bay and
Bakol regions for more than four years.
The RRA
officials also dissatisfied at comments made by the main traditional
leaders of the Rahanwein communities including Sultan Malaq
Mukhtar on the Djibouti television Wednesday night.
Malaq
Mukhtar spoke about the dramatic developments they had achieved
in regard to the general reconciliation with the Somali communities
as well as the differences among the Rahanwein people.
Despite
the RRA leadership's boycott, most of the Rahanwein politicians,
intellectuals and civic society groups are attending the meeting.
Nonetheless, the absence of main Somali warlords, such as
Hussein Aidid, Mohamed Qanyareh, Osman Ali Atto, Mohamed Ibrahim
Egal and Colonel Shargudud, from the meeting will remain to
be a little headache for the Djibouti government.
The Djibouti
conference, which began in early May, has now concluded its
first part which dealt with the reconciling of Somalia numerous
clans with the traditional leaders playing the most important
role.
The second
phase of the meeting and the most complicated part to deal
with the political issues is likely to begin on Saturday.
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