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Somalia launches disarmament drive

Somalia's victorious government set up gun collection points in Mogadishu yesterday at the start of a drive to disarm one of the world's most dangerous cities after the defeat of a six-month rule by Islamists.

Kenya sent troops and police to its long and porous northeastern border area, to which fighters of the defeated Somali Islamic Courts Council (SICC) have retreated after a two-week war in the volatile Horn of Africa nation.

Government troops and Ethiopian soldiers were reportedly moving south in pursuit of the remaining Islamic forces, residents said.

Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi told Mogadishu residents to hand over their weapons by tomorrow or be forcibly disarmed by his troops.

Gedi also offered an amnesty to Islamist fighters. He said some militia members offered to surrender.

``We asked out troops to collect them and bring them back home,'' he said yesterday, refusing to provide any details about how many fighters were involved or where they were.

He said yesterday that he does expect any more major fighting for control of the country.

Pacifying Mogadishu is the first priority of the interim government. The task is complicated by the return of warlords who may try to restore the fiefdoms they ran before the SICC chased them out last June.

Their return is hampering the government's attempt to establish itself as the city's sole authority.

Despite a UN arms embargo, a proliferation of weapons has made Mogadishu one of the most gun-infested cities in the world.

Gedi's aides said people were starting to hand over weapons to the interim government, which was set up in 2004.

But SICC spokesman Abdirahim Ali Mudey, speaking from a hideout, poured scorn on the government's disarmament drive, saying it had no popular legitimacy and would be unable to unite Somalia's clan-based society.

"Somalis will not relinquish their arms voluntarily. Some clans will fight back because trust does not yet exist between clans," Mudey said by telephone, without revealing his location.

Meanwhile, Nairobi is trying to seal its border and has blocked the flow of Somali refugees into camps in the north.

"We are telling them to return and help build their country. We are not allowing an influx of refugees," said Antony Kibuchi, police chief for North Eastern Province.

He said on Monday that 10 foreigners had been arrested when they tried to cross into Kenya.

"We arrested them on Dec. 30 at Liboi border town," Kibuchi said. "We are interrogating them and we will give more details about them as soon as possible."

Local media reported that eight of the men said they were from Eritrea, while the other two said they were Canadian.

Sea routes from Somalia were being patrolled by the US Navy, hunting three al-Qaeda suspects believed to be among the Islamic group and wanted for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in East Africa.

Diplomats from the region were also working to arrange the speedy deployment of African peacekeepers to help the interim government establish its authority.

In other news, Ethiopia said that its troops would remain in Somalia for another "few weeks."

"Ethiopian troops will remain in Somalia for a few weeks to help the transitional federal government stabilize the country," Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told parliament in Addis Ababa yesterday.
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